


MAYU

by BAPWarrior118



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Female Characters, BAMF Team 7, Brotp, But the original characters loves to ship, But there are plenty, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Growth, Doesn't mean it's gonna happen, Dramedy, Especially for the Chuunin Exams, Eventually goes dark, Explicit Language, Female Friendship, Friendship, Funny, Hatake Kakashi is so Done, He's still an avenger, Hugs, Humor, Kunoichi-centric, Mental Health Issues, Minor Canonical Character(s), No pairings - Freeform, Original Character is a bit dramatic, Personal Growth, Personality Swap, Pre-Time Skip, Primarily a humorous story, Protective Team, Protective Uchiha Sasuke, Random Abridged references, Random POV switching, Rewrite, Role Reversal, Shinobi, Strong Female Characters, Strong Haruno Sakura, Strong Uzumaki Naruto, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Teamwork, Trust, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto Friendship, Uzumaki Naruto Needs a Hug, fight scenes are Hard, if you know you know
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:55:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 131,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28780860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BAPWarrior118/pseuds/BAPWarrior118
Summary: EXCERPT:Her green eyes shifted back to the mirror. “I’m at the beginning,” she commented aloud. The beginning of Haruno Sakura’s story. The girl pulled at the longer pink hair, and the reflection made a face. “I am Haruno Sakura…” After a few moments of contemplation, a grin slowly made its way onto her face. “Nah…! This is a once in a lifetime deal!” The girl held up her fists, still confused by the circumstance, but oddly pleased. “Ishikari Mayu! It’s time for our debut!”Because surely this was not real.No consequences to be had and whatnot.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Original Female Character(s), Uchiha Sasuke & Original Female Character(s), Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 28
Kudos: 83





	1. Friends or Foes?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm revisiting the Naruto fandom because I wanna. :P

Waking up with a headache is not fun at all. Head throbbing, a pale hand reached up from underneath the covers and clutched at the offending ache. Of course, this did little to stifle the bizarre pain. Wincing, a child of thirteen slowly opened her eyes, greeting the new day with a scowl. The morning light of the sun filled the room, which did not help the headache at all. The girl shut her eyes again, pushing the cover away from her body with her free hand. Besides the headache, her entire body felt strange—different. She couldn’t exactly explain it, though. Groggily, she moved from the bed, managing to tangle her feet in the covers, which caused her to slam into the floor. The hardwood floor. Quickly, the girl shot up, eyes wide in confusion. She just happened to be staring directly into a full body mirror.

She screamed, absolutely horrified.

Her appearance appeared vastly different from normal. In all her thirteen years on this Earth, she had never changed so drastically. Was she even on Earth? A valid question, considering she was staring at the body of Haruno Sakura, a purely fictional character. Pink hair, wide green eyes, and pale skin—a definite contrast to her normal coloring. Trembling, the girl reached out to touch the mirror, vaguely aware that the headache seemed to be fading. The image of Sakura copied her movements flawlessly.

“I’m dreaming,” she whispered. She then nodded, attempting to convince herself. “Yes, I left the television on, watching the marathon. That’s why…” The girl pinched herself, twisting the skin and everything. However, all she received for her efforts was hissing pain and red blemished skin on her forearm. “Okay, so not a dream,” she muttered turning her attention back to the mirror. She quickly examined the body, realizing that something was wrong. Well, besides the fact that she currently resided in a fictional character’s body. A hand ran through the pink hair. Long and silky—clearly taken care of—and not the short length that Sakura had taken as her signature hairstyle sometime during her ninja career.

“Sakura! Stop screaming! You’re gonna wake the entire neighborhood!” A shout through the door caused the girl to turn her head. A woman’s voice, so maybe Sakura’s mother? She hadn’t been shown. At least, she had never seen the woman. However, she knew that Sakura still had both her parents. “Why are you up anyway? You don’t go to the Academy for, at least, another two hours.”

“ _Uh_ … J-Just a dream!” she called back, uncertain if she should engage in this bizarre turn of events. She heard grumbles coming from the other side of the door as well as departing footsteps. Sighing to herself, the girl took the time to examine the room. Her eyes settled on the desk, where a recognizable headband had been set out. The metal plate, which had village’s leaf symbol engraved, seemingly stared back at her. It took a moment, but her brain finally caught up to the basics of the situation.

Her gaze shifted back to the mirror. “I’m at the beginning,” she commented aloud. The beginning of Haruno Sakura’s story. The girl pulled at the longer pink hair, and the reflection made a face. “I am Haruno Sakura…” After a few moments of contemplation, a grin slowly made its way onto her face. “ _Nah_ …! This is a once in a lifetime deal!” The girl held up her fists, still confused by the circumstance, but oddly pleased. “Ishikari Mayu! It’s time for our debut!”

0-0

"Sakura, you're going to me late!" Sakura’s mother called.

"I'm just putting my headband on!"

"Okay, you don't have to yell!" her mother said.

Snorting quietly in amusement, Mayu lowered her arms. It would seem that Sakura’s loud way of talking had run in her family. However, she didn’t have room to judge. Growing up with her own mother had taught her to speak up as well. Currently, she stood near the front door of a modest home. There was another mirror just before leaving. The house was full of them—decorative or not. Mayu had only briefly wondered the reason. Perhaps Sakura had become conscious of the fact that she was a pretty girl, and had wanted to make sure she remained pretty throughout the day. Not that it mattered anymore.

Mayu opened the door, not bothering to check her appearance, and walked out. Honestly, she had haphazardly braided the hair back so that it would not get in her face. The long single braid fell down her back, dyed black and out of the way. The forehead proctor wrapped securely around its intended spot, which kept the bangs clear from her eyes. Mayu did not intend to behave in the way of Haruno Sakura. It had been a quick decision, too. She was Ishikari Mayu, a proud thirteen year old with a love of Martial Arts. Besides, it would be too difficult to keep up a façade. At this point, no one really knew Sakura—not her assigned team, anyway. So, she figured she could act as herself.

Because surely this was not real.

No consequences to be had and whatnot.

“Good morning, Sakura!” The less than cheerful greeting caused Mayu to falter in her footsteps. Maybe it had been a good thing. Only now did she realize that she had no clue where she was going. Watching the show hadn’t exactly been a mapping experience. The voice that had stopped her belonged to none other than Yamanaka Ino. Long blonde hair tied into a high ponytail, her large bang covered one of her eyes. That did not hide the snarky expression from the girl dressed in purple. She, too, wore a forehead protector. It tied around her waist. “H-Hey…” Her expression shifted to wary. “Why did you change your hair color?” she questioned, staring intently.

“I needed the change,” Mayu answered. “Now that I have graduated, I thought it was time to take my ninja career seriously. Pink hair is pretty and exotic, but not exactly good for blending in.” She scratched at her cheek. “I intend to be taken seriously.” Truthfully, Mayu did not intend to walk around with pink hair. Sure, she may have been different from others, but she had still been born and raised by a Japanese family—mixed, but still. She would rather have dark hair than light.

" _Hmm_...” Ino narrowed her eyes, but began walking. Mayu hurriedly followed her footsteps until she fell into step with the blonde kunoichi. “I can't believe they let someone like _you_ become a ninja.” It was an obvious baiting tactic—one that might have worked if the girl had been talking to her former best friend.

"Well, we are both ninja now, so I suggest that we focus more on that,” Mayu replied, easily. She shut her eyes for a few seconds before opening them, eyes on the road ahead. She took a deep breath before continuing. “I am going to focus on that. Sasuke… kun," she hesitantly continued. “I’ve decided he’s a distraction. I find myself not liking him anymore. You can have him if you’d like.” Ino stumbled in her stride, openly gawking.

"You're _actually_ giving up on Sasuke-kun?!" she asked, clearly dubious. Her voice had risen several pitches. “I don’t believe you!”

“It’s true,” Mayu assured her. “No need to worry about me interfering. I'll even put in a good word for you when I see him!” She did not want to be Ino’s rival in something like _love_. She was a child—they both were—and romance was far from her mind. No, if they were going to be rivals, Mayu would rather it be on who was the better kunoichi. “Besides... I want us to be _friends_ again!" Ino gasped at the explanation. “I’ve been thinking a lot actually, and… our friendship was important to me. I should not have ended it.” She turned her eyes to the startled blonde. “So, what do you say?" she asked. “Do you forgive me?”

“… O-Okay..." Ino said, clearly at a loss of words. She then physically shook off the shock. “N-No changing your mind later! I’m gonna _marry_ Sasuke-kun!”

"Yes, yes—make sure you invite me to the wedding,” Mayu replied, grinning. “Now, let's go to the Academy and get you that Uchiha! Race you!"

"Sakura, you forehead girl! That’s cheating!" Ino’s yell probably woke up the rest of the neighborhood. In hindsight, it was probably a good idea for the blonde kunoichi to catch up. Mayu still had no clue on where the Academy was located.

Still, the grin would not leave her face. Things looked to be shaping up already. She had never liked the ridiculous reason behind rivalry of the two girls. Ending a friendship over a person that showed no interest in either of them had always confounded and irritated her. Honestly, if they had had a healthy rivalry, they might not have been as stagnant and labeled as useless by many fans. Now that she had been dropped into this situation, she was going to end it all.

**Inner Mayu: I'm going to make Sakura's life a living hell! SHAZAAM!**

0-0

"I'm first!" Ino exclaimed, rushing into the classroom. Amused, Mayu only followed after. The blonde kunoichi had been the victor, but she couldn’t very well begin celebrating because she had begun panting heavily. Her stamina hadn’t been as good as it could be. Mayu fleetingly wondered why she hadn’t been out of breath as well. They had been neck and neck until they had gotten through the Academy doors. Ino and Sakura, at this point in the story, should have had the same amount of fortitude. "I win again, Sakura!" Ino finally got her breathing under control and grinned.

"That you did!" Mayu replied, returning the gesture. “You’re so fast!” Ino laughed in an arrogant manner as she flicked her long bang. Apparently, it would be easy to distract the blonde from the sudden personality change. All she had to do was shower the girl with compliments. Once Ino stopped laughing, she calmed down and looked around the room. Then her blue eyes turned serious.

"So… are you really going to hook me up with Sasuke-kun?" Ino asked.

Mayu nodded her head. "Of course," she answered. Then she glanced around the room the same way Ino had done. She spotted the lone Uchiha, clad in blue and white, sitting at one of the middle desks. He disregarded many of the pair of eyes on his person. Girls around the room whispered amongst themselves, blushing and giggling, probably wanting to work up the courage to speak with the boy. In the traditional sense, perhaps Uchiha Sasuke was attractive, especially to a bunch of prepubescent girls. Dark hair, dark eyes, pale skin, angular face—a combination of features that was entirely Japanese. Admittedly, Mayu, herself, had been drawn to his eyes. The darkness and the shape of them—it reminded her of her father’s.

Then he opened his mouth and showed his personality.

Not like her father at all. Wholly unattractive. Mayu could not understand how anyone could continue to feel anything for him. The only thing attractive about Uchiha Sasuke, to her, was his talent. She could admit to herself, and friends, that she admired him for it. His fighting prowess was impressive. She wanted to fight him. Nothing else. To think that she would have the chance. Keeping the squeal to herself, Mayu headed in the direction of unsuspecting shinobi. As she moved, she turned her attention to Ino, nearly forgetting about her. "I'm about to go talk to him for you!” she staged a whispered. “That's what best friends are for, right?"

Not waiting for a reply, but Mayu had noticed the slight redness of Ino’s cheeks, she continued her way down to where Sasuke sat. She almost didn’t recognize the star of the show because she had been so focused. However, the glaring orange and blue jumpsuit of the small ninja caught her attention. Uzumaki Naruto. So bright. From his hair, to his clothes, to his personality—stark contrast from his rival. Mayu had admired him from the start as well. His tenacity and fortitude were positive traits. Never give up until the dream was reached. Sure, his abilities may be lacking, but he tried his hardest. Thirteen, she may be, but she thought of his speeches more than a few times when things seemed too rough for her to continue. The boy was a natural role model.

"Hi, Sakura-chan...!" Naruto greeted, standing up.

"Good morning, Naruto!" Mayu replied, holding back an urge to ask for his autograph. She did give him a small wave, though. The small gesture lit up the boy’s face. Enthusiastically, he fidgeted in place. His cheeks gained a bit more color, indicating a blush. He didn’t have the conventional look, but there was something quite adorable about the blond shinobi. His shy smile was quite infectious. “How are you?”

“I…!” Naruto cut himself off, seemingly taken aback by the friendly question. Sad, but he probably wasn’t used to friendliness, especially from his crush. _Hm_ … That reminded her. She would need to stop that. Originally, he had been persistent in the pursuit of Haruno Sakura’s heart. The girl hadn’t thrown him any type of bone, but he would not stop. More than likely, it turned into a routine. No way could he truly have romantic affections for someone who rejected him so often. And so brutally, too. Hopefully. “Wow, Sakura-chan... you look even prettier with your hair like that!" Naruto complimented, breaking Mayu out of her thoughts.

"Thanks… I guess," she said, and then cleared her throat. "Anyway, I have to talk to Sasuke for a minute."

"Sasuke...?" Naruto said, a glower forming on his face.

"I’m sure it will only take a minute!" Mayu replied, passing Naruto to move to the middle seat of the three-chaired desk. She took a seat, pointedly staring at him and waiting for acknowledgement. The boy kept his gaze ahead of him, mouth pressed against his laced fingers. Mayu cleared her throat. He ignored her. Eye twitching, she attempted to get his attention. “Sasuke, I would like to speak to you about my friend," she said in the nicest voice she could muster despite the sudden spike of irritation within her. Slowly, he slid his eyes towards her, and the action was a bit surprising. "She likes you… for some reason, so I was wondering if you could give her a chance."

"No," he said.

"Why...?" Mayu asked. “I mean, she can be nice.”

"I'm not interested in girls right now," Sasuke stated.

“So…” Mayu stared at him, trying not to laugh. “You’re interested in _boys_ , then?” Not liking the question or the way she was grinning with implication, Sasuke glared. “ _Oh no_! How are we ever gonna replenish the Uchiha numbers?” She faked a gasp of dismay. Somehow, his glare hardened to a malicious intent. Mayu paid no mind. She continued to grin at him. “I suppose it’s okay. As long as you’re happy with whatever man steals your heart!” She leaned close to him, staging a whisper. “As long as it’s not Naruto! He’s taken!”

“Shut up.”

Mayu only giggled, sensing that she had found a way under his skin. Speaking of Naruto being taken, it reminded her of her favorite kunoichi. Ignoring Sasuke now, Mayu looked throughout the classroom in search of a pale-eyed girl. It took a few moments to locate her because she blended in so well. She seriously didn’t need the Hyuga eyes to be a recon specialist. She could be invisible without even trying. At this point in the story, Hyuga Hinata was insecure—a wallflower with a magnetic attraction for Naruto. Mayu admired her as well, and truly believed with a bit more confidence, the kunoichi could become the best. There had been a time that Mayu had been the same as Hinata. Until she had begun to take Martial Arts classes, she had been a bit shy herself, as she was so different from everyone else.

When Hinata had stood tall, maybe for the first time, it had been an inspiring moment. One that Mayu would never forget. The pale-eyed kunoichi would always be her favorite, and any endeavor she had would be supported. Hence why she supported the girl’s crush on Naruto. Noticing the staring, Hinata quickly averted her gaze down to the desk below her, cheeks gaining a severe flush. Mayu grinned, scratching at her cheek. It might take some time to become friends with her, but she wanted to.

"Hey, get away from my Sasuke-kun! I wanted to sit by him!" a female's screech interrupted Mayu before she could think of heading to sit with the pretty Hyuga. Blinking, she looked towards the aisle to see a gaggle of girls crowding around the entrance to the desk. They essentially were treating Naruto like he hadn’t been there. It was a wonder how they hadn’t trampled him already, especially since their Sasuke-kun was so close at hand. Mayu thought about it—really, she did—but in the end, she chose to remain seated. In fact, she made a show of getting comfortable, resting her cheek against her knuckles and propping her head up by the elbow. She pointedly stared at the girl who had the audacity to give her an order.

“How old are you to be talking to me like that?” Mayu questioned.

“Wha-? I-I… Why would that matter?!”

“It matters to me,” she stated. “I sat here first, so leave me be, pretty kohai.”

“Or what?” the girl retorted, cheeks swelling in annoyance.

“Or… You’re gonna _regret it_ ,” Mayu said, smiling. The girl huffed, but those around her seemingly recognized the threat. “Besides, your intentions towards your Sasuke-kun will be rebuffed as always, I’m sure. He is a walking Popsicle, after all. Try not to lose any more of your dignity or girl power by falling out over this type of boy.”

“Don’t talk about Sasuke-kun like that!”

“I’ve got girl power!” another girl shouted, clearly offended.

In her passionate declaration, she had knocked Naruto out of his seat. Glaring now, despite the calm façade she had tried to put on, Mayu stood up, taking offense. The girl hadn’t even noticed her mistake, or hadn’t cared. Either way, it was not of the good for her. “Don’t knock Naruto down!” she yelled. Before things could escalate any further, someone cleared their throat. Mayu shifted her attention to the front of the classroom, gaze settling on the chuunin-level teacher. Umino Iruka. One of the first people to acknowledge Naruto. He was good people. At his quite stern look—Mayu had seen it many times during her own classes—the girls gave up their plan to sit beside Sasuke. All the students took their seats.

"You all are now genin,” Iruka began. “You will be assigned to a three-man squad, led by a jounin—an elite ninja," he said.

"Well, someone is going to end up with Sasuke-kun.” Ino’s voice, coming directly behind Mayu, caused the girl to turn in her seat. Her blue eyes were smiling as well as her mouth. "I wonder who..." she continued in a teasing voice.

"I don't know, but I hope it's _you_ , Ino-chan!" Mayu replied, and then turned back around.

"We want each squad to have balance strength and abilities, so that's how we set them up,” Iruka continued, holding up single sheet of paper. “Now, I will call out the teams. Team 7... Uzumaki Naruto... Haruno Sakura..." Already knowing the teams, at least of the Rookie Nine, Mayu did not react to the news. However, Naruto stood up and shouted in glee. This made her grimace. Definitely, definitely had to nip his crush in the bud. "And Uchiha Sasuke!" Iruka finished.

The glares focused on her were quite intense, but Mayu did he best to ignore them. These genin didn’t matter in grand scheme of things. In fact, if she remembered correctly, they had all failed excepted for the nine. Mayu, instead, turned around to face Ino. "Sorry, I would change if I could," she said.

**Why couldn’t I be Hinata?!**

"Whatever, as long as I don't get paired up with a lazy bum," Ino said.

"Team 8... Hyuga Hinata ... Inuzuka Kiba... and Aburame Shino," Iruka said.

“Lucky…” Mayu murmured. If she had gotten to be Hinata, she would have gotten to play with Akamaru. Now, she adored cats, but there was something special about puppies.

"Sakura-chan, is there something wrong?" Naruto asked, noticing the disappointment.

"Nothing, I just didn't want to be teamed up with Uchiha," she answered, sighing a bit. "... But I guess there's the bright side."

"What's the bright side?" Naruto asked, curious.

"I can find out his weaknesses and take that bitch down!" Mayu staged a whisper that everyone heard. Somewhere in the room, she heard Kiba roar with laughter. Naruto, too, was quite amused. Many fangirls grumbled in disapproval. Behind her, Ino had snorted, attempting to cover up a laugh herself. Sasuke chose to remain quiet, but she could practically feel the tension rolling off him. She didn’t care about the reactions, only her own amusement.

"Iruka-sensei! Why do I have to be on the same team as Sasuke?" Naruto demanded to know while pointing a finger in Sasuke’s direction.

"Sasuke has the best scores of all the graduating students and, Naruto, _you_ had the worst," Iruka answered. A snicker slipped through despite Mayu’s admiration for the guy. "To create a balanced squad, we put the best student with the worst student."

"Just make sure you don't get in my way," Sasuke said, making Naruto growl. Another snicker escaped. This dynamic was going to fun. "Loser..."

"Hey, what did you say?" Naruto growled out.

"Hard of hearing?" Sasuke asked, sarcastically.

“Why, you-?!” Naruto sputtered, outraged.

"Calm yourself, Naruto!" Mayu cooed. She looked towards Sasuke. “He’s our teammate now. Let’s try to get along starting now.” Sasuke merely glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “It doesn't really help us if you fight with your own teammate... no matter _how_ long the pole stuck up their ass is.” This caused everyone laugh. The guys, mostly. “Let’s work hard together, Sasuke.”

“ _Hn_.”

“After lunch, you will meet your new sensei," Iruka stated. "Until then, class dismissed.”

0-0

"Sasuke sure went off fast!" Mayu remarked aloud, walking outside of the school. She then smirked, a thought coming to mind. "Maybe he had to take a shi-”

"Hey, Sakura-chan...!" She turned to find Naruto jogging towards her, arm extended in a wave. Of course, she came to a stop, allowing the blond to catch up. "Since we're in the same group... I thought we could eat lunch together."

"Oh, I was actually going to wait until I got home," Mayu told him. “I had a big breakfast this morning, and I figure we’re not going to do anything strenuous today since it’s our graduation. Hope I’m not wrong.”

"Oh… okay,” Naruto replied. “ _Um_ … Hey, do you like Sasuke?" The smile on Mayu’s face froze. “I mean… I kinda thought you did for the longest time. All the girls seem to.”

"No way!" Mayu shouted. "He has my respect as a fighter, but that’s _it_!"

**I like Gaara-kun a lot more!**

Just thinking about the cute redhead from Suna relaxed her immensely. Gaara. Whatever jacked up plot put her here, Mayu hoped it lasted until she could meet the kid. Best shinobi. Well, other than Rock Lee. If she could meet those two, she didn’t care that she had to walk around as Haruno Sakura. She would even go back to pink for a chance to meet them sooner. It might have been hypocritical of her, but she was a bit of a fangirl herself when it came to those two.

"Then why are you blushing?" Naruto's voice cut through her thoughts of meeting either one.

"I-I-I'm not blushing!" Mayu exclaimed, shaking my head. Embarrassed, and not wanting to admit to fangirl tingles, she sharply turned to go. "Well, I’m leaving! See you back at the classroom!"

"Sakura-chan, wait!" Naruto called, but the girl only continued running, far too embarrassed to stop.

0-0

Mayu plopped down on an empty bench. She sighed heavily, tilting her head back to look up towards the sky. Embarrassment aside, the conversation with Naruto had gotten her thinking. Just how long would this go on? Sure, she would have so much fun in this world of ninja. But what exactly had brought her here, and for what purpose? Technically, Ishikari Mayu was a normal girl from a normal world. What business did she have meddling in this story? And she was definitely going to be meddling quite a bit. Mayu silently sent an apology to Kishimoto. Hopefully, her being here was a… What was that called again? A paradox…? No, an alternate universe. Hopefully, she had been placed in an alternate universe where she could play around without jacking up the real vision. She had never made it to _Shippuden_ , so she had no idea what came after the time skip. Not really.

The girl, deep in her own thoughts, didn’t notice a presence until it had been right on top of her. Slowly, she looked down, realizing that Uchiha Sasuke stood directly in front of her. With his arms crossed, he appeared to be smiling at her. The fine hairs on the back of neck stood upright. Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, Mayu stared back at the boy, quietly questioning his appearance in front of her. “Sakura,” he began. “Your forehead is so wide and charming.” Mayu tried not to grimace. This was awkward. “It makes me feel like kissing it.” The grimace was in full bloom at this point. “Just kidding…! That’s the kinda thing Naruto would say.”

“Right…” Mayu muttered. She had nearly forgotten about this part. This was Naruto in disguise, wanting information from Sakura. Trying not to roll her eyes, she huffed out. Maybe this was her chance to direct Naruto’s attention somewhere else. The disguised ninja sat down beside her, so unaware that his identity had been compromised already. “What do you want, Sasuke?”

“I wanted… I wanted to ask you something,” he stated. Mayu turned her eyes to him, waiting for the question. Truthfully, the _Transformation Jutsu_ was pretty on point. If she hadn’t known any better, she would think this was really Sasuke speaking with her. There were a few holes, however. The words used and slight hesitance was not a normal trait of the stoic boy. Anyone should be able to tell the difference just by being near the real thing for five minutes. Sasuke gave off a _get away from me_ vibe. Naruto just didn’t have that. In fact, the blond had the very opposite vibe. _Look at me_. Sad, really. On both accounts.

"What is it?" Mayu asked, after Naruto hadn’t said another word.

"Naruto... what do you think of him?" he questioned.

"… He’s cool, in his own way,” Mayu replied, truthfully. “He’s got a personality you either find annoying or admirable. I am one of those people who admires him." The words caused an elated expression to appear on Sasuke’s face. It was a bit weird, so Mayu looked away in order to avoid laughing aloud. "I think… with a little more patience and control, he could be a very good ninja. It's really no wonder that someone already likes him… like _that_."

"Someone like m—him?" The question had come equipped with a slip up. “Y-You mean it?”

"Yeah, but I can't tell you... it's a secret between friends!" Mayu said, wagging my finger at _Sasuke_.

"Secret, huh...?" he said. "So... some girl likes… Naruto?" Mayu glanced his way again, only to see the undeniable blush on those cheeks. Ha. This really was going to be fun. "Come on, Sakura, tell me who like m—him!"

"No."

"Come on, why not?"

"You know, Sasuke, you sound suspiciously like Naruto right now," Mayu stated, which caused the boy to flinch. He then quite unexpectedly grimaced and grabbed his stomach, and then ran away. No longer able to hold back the laugh, she released it fully, throwing her head back, completely amused. That expression had been the best she had ever seen on Sasuke’s face. What other expression could she see while stuck in this body? The possibilities seemed endless. She would crack that stoic face like her life depended on it. It would be so funny. Her laughter eventually faded to mere giggles before she grew silent once again.

For a time, Mayu sat on that bench, merely content in relaxing until it was time to go and meet the team lead. Eventually, the wind shifted its course, and she opened her eyes. Again, she found Uchiha Sasuke standing in front of her. Surprised, she realized that he was the real one. The ever-present scowl and the way his hands were shoved into his pockets were definitely his traits. Mayu sat up straight. Though he stood in front of her, clearly wanting her attention, he still had that _get back_ vibe about him. “Yes…? Can I help you?” she asked, lifting a brow.

"You're acting different," he remarked, and then walked away.

“… Okay…” Mayu drawled, uncertain of that interaction. Sasuke was oddly perceptive about things. Had he really noticed a change within Sakura because he knew her? “I wonder if I should be worried.”

**Nah! Bird boy probably just thinks he so cool!**

Shrugging, Ishikari Mayu in the body of Haruno Sakura stood up, heading back into the school.

0-0


	2. Survival Test

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Congratz_ on getting through the first chapter.
> 
> Now, let's get into the ~~mediocre~~ action!

"He's late!" Naruto exclaimed, looking out of the door.

Understandably, he had gotten fed up. Out of all the graduating genin, only Team 7 had been stuck waiting around for their leader to appear. The other jounin had collected their teams hours ago. Mayu had no idea it had taken so long for Hatake Kakashi to arrive. She had expected a wait because she knew the man had a thing about tardiness, but she was almost positive the day was ending for school. What could possibly have his attention for so long? Honestly, Mayu had gotten frustrated, too.

"Naruto, maybe you should just sit down," she suggested, bored out of her mind. Immediately after lunch had been over, the elite ninja had come into the classroom. She had had no time to speak with Ino or Hinata. And she had really wanted to. She hadn’t been able to find them during the lunch hour, probably because they had spent it getting to know their teams. She probably wouldn’t get the chance to speak with them at all for quite some time. Or maybe she would get lucky in between missions.

"I don't want to! How come our teacher is the only one that's late? I'm ready to rumble!" Naruto said. "The other groups have already met their new teachers and took off on some adventure or something. Iruka-sensei isn't here either."

"Yeah, yeah..." Mayu mumbled, closing her eyes. No one was here at the moment, other than the team. Honestly, she couldn’t hear much of anything except Naruto’s loud complaining. Was there anyone left in the entire school right now? She rested her head on the desk. She, too, had been ready to rumble. Now, it felt like all the energy had drained away. Maybe she should have eaten lunch after all. Naruto suddenly began making more noise that didn’t come from his mouth. Mayu lifted her head and focused on the blond. "What are you doing?" she asked, watching him stand on a stool, stretching up high to place an eraser full of chalk dust in between the door and wall. Naruto merely laughed.

"That's what he gets for being late!" he said, hopping off the stool. He scooted the stool to an innocent place so that the unsuspecting jounin wouldn’t notice a thing until it was too late. "Surprise!"

"Naruto, a prank on our sensei is a _great_ first impression,” Mayu grinned, giving a thumbs up. “That’ll show him for making us wait around!”

**I would have used a bucket of water!**

"You are both idiots,” Sasuke finally spoke up, only to scold them. Hours had gone by, and only an insult had roused him to speak. Sad. “Our teacher's a jounin—an elite ninja," he continued as though the two of them had forgotten. Mayu rolled her eyes. "Do you honestly think he will fall for that?"

"Heck yeah, he will!" Mayu said, turning to face the Uchiha. "If he does fall for it, you have to do me a favor!" A grin stretched across her face. Her teammate flinched, but said nothing. “If he doesn’t fall for it, tell Naruto what he could have done better.”

"That’s stupid," Sasuke said, flatly. “And I’m not dating you.”

"You _really_ need to get over yourself, bird brain!" Mayu retorted, scowling at the very notion. She made a show of shuddering like it had repulsed her. Sasuke glared, but it was staunchly ignored. A smirk fell into place. "So how about it? Deal or no deal?"

"Fine—it's not like he'd fall for it anyway," Sasuke muttered.

Suddenly, the door started opening. Seemingly, the three genin held their breaths as a hand slid to open the door further. Kakashi’s head popped in only to have the eraser drop unceremoniously onto his head, releasing a burst of chalk dust into his dark silver hair and white powder around his shoulders. Naruto let out a victorious laugh, pointing and jeering "I got him! He totally fell for it!" he shouted in glee.

"Looks like someone owes Ino-chan a _kiss_!" Mayu crooned, absolutely pleased with the outcome. Sasuke grumbled to himself, not pleased at all. Most likely, he wasn’t impressed with their sensei. The three stared at Kakashi, expectedly, as he picked up the eraser.

" _Hmm_... How can I put this?" he asked himself. The man rubbed at his chin, appearing serious about the question. "My first impression of this group... I hate you all."

“I don’t think an adult, who’s supposed to train children, should be saying that out loud, sensei,” Mayu told him, still grinning. “Surely you must realize that pranks come with the territory?” His visible eye didn’t exactly glare, but it appeared both stern and bored at the same time. “Whoa, you’re scary,” she commented playfully.

“Meet me on the roof in five minutes,” he ordered before leaving the room.

0-0

"All right, why don't you guys introduce yourselves?" Kakashi asked. "One at a time..." The four had finally made it to the roof. Their sensei leaned against the railing, arms crossed over his chest and chalk free. He appeared quite bored despite most of his face being covered by a mask and his forehead protector. The three genin sat opposite of him. Naruto sat on the right. Sasuke sat on the left. Mayu was in between the two boys. None of them chose to respond to his suggestion. “Come on, now. Don’t be shy. Tell me some things you like, things you hate… dreams for the future? Hobbies—things like that,” the man elaborated.

“You first,” Mayu said. Her legs were crossed at the ankles in front of her while her hands were tucked in her lap. She leaned forward. Honestly, Kakashi didn’t appear like he cared what they had to say. “Just so we have a guideline.”

"Me? I'm Hatake Kakashi... things I like and things I hate... I don't feel like telling you that," he said. Mayu pressed her lips together, trying not to smile. "My dreams for the future... never really thought about it. As for my hobbies... I have lots of hobbies."

"Well, that was a waste," Naruto muttered. “All we got was your name!”

"Okay, your turn...” Kakashi said, shrugging. “You, on the right!"

“I’m Uzumaki Naruto! I like instant Ramen in a cup, and I like the Ramen Iruka-sensei got me at the noodle shop. But I hate the three minutes you have to wait after you pour the water in the ramen cup!" Naruto rambled. "My hobby is eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them. And my future dream is to be the greatest Hokage, then the village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody—somebody important!"

"Alright, next…?" Kakashi said, uncaringly. His uncovered eye took a glance in Mayu’s direction, so she chose now to speak.

"My name is Haruno Sakura," she lied, smiling. "I like… singing randomly, sparring, and messing with people's heads. I tend to be inside my own head, so don’t bother talking to me when I have a dazed expression on my face. Hobbies… _Hm_ … I guess reading would be a hobby. Reading about all sorts of things. My dream... Well, it’s not a dream because I _will_ make it a reality...” She lost her smile and narrowed her eyes. “If I survive long enough in this world, I will kill a man." Mayu noticed the looks she received for such a confession, but she did not care. “By poison, by blades, by my bare hands, by _burning_ —it doesn’t matter the method I use… As long as he dies and is no longer of this world. I don’t have a dream. I have a _goal_.”

**_SHAZAAM_ ** **! Orochimaru must die!**

It was quiet for a good while, three pairs of eyes on their female teammate. She seemed to break out of her murderous thoughts after a few moments. She pointedly cleared her throat, continuing through her introduction. The smile came back. "And things I hate... I guess its ignorant people—people who choose to remain ignorant and stagnant throughout their lives, so unwilling to accept change and grow," Mayu finished. "Oh, and I'm not really a bug fan either!"

"Okay... last one," Kakashi said, warily, before looking towards Sasuke.

"My name is... Uchiha Sasuke. I hate a lot of things and I don't practically like anything," he replied. His eyes were focused on an unknown object. Mayu rolled her eyes, once again wondering how anyone could like such a boring person. "What I have is not a dream because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and destroy a certain... someone," he finished.

"Wow, way to be a copycat, ne?" Naruto chuckled at the comment, causing Mayu to grin. Sasuke ignored it.

"Good, you're each unique and have your own ideas… except for you, Sasuke," Kakashi said. Mayu’s grin widened, thinking she was going to like the jounin, after all. "We'll have our first mission tomorrow."

"What kinda mission are we going to have?" Naruto asked.

"It's a task the four of us will do together," he answered.

"What? What? What? What?" Naruto repeated, clearly excited.

"Survival training," Kakashi stated.

"Survival training...?"

"This isn't like your previous training, though," Kakashi warned.

"What kinda training is it then?" Naruto asked.

The older ninja began laughing. "Well, if I tell you the answer, you're not going to like it," Kakashi said, and then laughed again. "Of the 27 graduates that came here, only nine will actually be accepted as genin, the other 18 will be weeded out and sent back to the academy."

"So, in other words... if we fail this, we have to start all over again?" Mayu clarified.

"Yes, Sakura, that is correct. The chance of failing is at least 66 percent," Kakashi explained. Naruto freaked out. "See, didn't I tell you that you wouldn't like it?"

"That's crazy! We worked hard to get here!" Naruto shouted. "What was that graduation test for anyway?"

"Oh that? That was just to select candidates who _might_ become genin," Kakashi said. "Or not!"

" _Whaaat_?" Naruto shouted.

"That's how it is," Kakashi continued. "I decide whether you pass or fail. Be at the designated training spot at 5 A.M. and bring your ninja gear."

Mayu narrowed her eyes, thinking critically. Admittedly, she knew the parameters of this survival training. She knew exactly what the jounin were looking for in the graduating class. The only difference this time around was her presence. She wondered how things would end up now that she had been placed on this team instead of the real Sakura. Her mindset, instead of Sakura’s, might even be the reason the whole team could fail. She clenched her jaw. That could not happen. How else would she continue this bizarre adventure? How else would she be able to meet ninja she admired? Rock Lee. Gaara. She had to meet them. And also… Her eyes glanced at Uchiha Sasuke. She wanted to shake his world.

"That's it. You're dismissed... _Oh_ , you might want to skip breakfast tomorrow or else... you'll puke," Kakashi said. Perhaps she should heed his advice. He sounded so serious and sure they would be emptying their stomachs. Still, she hadn’t recalled something like that happening.

**_NAH_ ** **! No way am I missing out on a meal!**

0-0

It was the earliest Mayu had ever gotten up. She yawned loudly as she walked towards the designated area. Fortunately, Sakura’s mother had been nice enough to cook a meal for her. A big meal. The woman had seemed surprised that she had asked for it. She had commented on some strange diet Sakura had been on. From Mayu’s understanding, it hadn’t been completely healthy. It was a wonder why this body hadn’t collapsed in a fit of fatigue yet. Supposedly, Academy training kept the body stable just enough so that it wouldn’t. To cover up the sudden shift from dieting, Mayu had told Sakura’s mother that the breakfast would be packed up and distributed to her teammates. The woman had bought that story. Well, technically, it was the truth.

So, with a bag full of food, Mayu made her way through the forest until she reached the clearing. She spotted Sasuke first, coming in the opposite direction. Then she saw Naruto walking towards them as well, covering up a yawn. Shame Kakashi wasn’t going to be here on time. The boys looked as though they had dragged themselves out of bed. Surely, Mayu didn’t look any better. She had barely showered. Luckily, Sakura’s mom had everything thing ready to go for her. But maybe she should have slept in just for another hour.

Mayu halted, as did the other two. Naruto greeted them without his usual exuberance. Sasuke didn’t say anything at all. Three stomachs growled in near unison. They had taken Kakashi’s advice, after all. Stifling a smile, Mayu sat down and opened her bag. She felt the curious stares of her teammates as she removed a large blanket, and then began unloading the packed breakfast. “Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!” Naruto was the first to question out loud. “How come you’ve got all that food?”

“I’m going to eat it,” Mayu replied with a shrug. She held out chopsticks. “Want some…?”

“I-I… But-” His answer came from his stomach. The blond immediately plopped down and took the offered chopsticks. He grinned widely, fully prepared to chow down. “Thanks, Sakura-chan!” Mayu nodded her head and pulled out some fruit—oranges.

“He told us not to eat,” Sasuke pointed out, watching them. Mayu looked up, noticing the slight envy in his eyes. He also wore a frown. Mayu merely lifted her hand, holding up an orange. Sasuke’s frown deepened. “You’re going against an order.”

“No, he _advised_ us not to eat,” Mayu corrected. “And said that we might puke if we do. But tell me something, Sasuke. If what we’re going to do is strenuous enough that there’s a chance of throwing up, shouldn’t we have the energy to actual do whatever activity?” Sasuke said nothing, but she could tell the gears were turning. “I mean, I would rather be full of energy to burn for this training than weak and starving. Vulnerable. How about you?”

“I…” Clearly, he was still hesitant. “I don’t like sweets.”

“That explains _a lot_. Is there no joy in _any_ aspect of your life?” Mayu rolled her eyes. Sasuke scowled, but his stomach growled. He pursed his lips together, embarrassed. “Just say thank you and eat the damn fruit.”

“Yeah, Sasuke! Eat the damn fruit!” Naruto cajoled.

“Don’t worry. These are the easy to peel ones,” Mayu teased.

The Uchiha huffed lightly, taking the offered orange and grumpily sitting down. He provided no thanks, but he ate, and that was the most important thing. Perhaps they would all fair better with full bellies against the elite ninja. And so, the genin ate, mostly in silence with the occasional compliment from Naruto. Mayu told him that she hadn’t made the meal, but it hadn’t seemed to matter. There were a few instances where she had caught both boys looking at her as though she had grown another head, though. Perhaps they were in awe. Ichiro, her friend from home, often commented that she could eat like a Saiyan. She, of course, took it as a compliment. Who didn’t want to be compared to the Saiyan race?

Eventually, they finished the large meal. Mayu packed up the discarded items and shoved them back in her bag. Her ninja gear had already been equipped, so no problem there. Now, she was resting alongside Naruto, waiting for their tardy sensei. Sasuke had returned to a standing position. The sun had rose by now. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too much longer before Kakashi arrived.

It was only after another hour did the jounin appear before them. Mayu and Naruto both stood as the man casually waved at them. “Morning, everyone…!” he greeted, having the nerve to sound cheerful. “Ready for your day?”

"Hey, you're late!" Naruto shouted, point a finger.

"Well, a black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way," Kakashi explained. Mayu did not have to fake her glower. Naruto and Sasuke matched her expression perfectly. The jounin seemed to ignore the heated stares. "Well, let's get started," he continued, leading the three over to perfectly leveled stumps. "Here we go." He pulled out a timer. "It's set for noon. Your assignment is very simple. You must take these bells from me... That's all there is to it." He set the timer down and showed off the targets of the test. "If you can't get them by noon, then you go without lunch.” Mayu betted the man was confused by the lack of reaction from the three. He stumbled over his next words. "I'll tie you to the stump and eat right in front of you!" Kakashi warned.

“Whatever. What are the rules?” Sasuke questioned.

"And how come there are only two bells when they're three of us?" Naruto asked.

"You only need one bell and since there are two bells only, one of you will definitely fail,” Kakashi explained, chuckling a bit as he spoke. “That one will go back to the Academy. But then again, all three of you could fail, too. You can use your shuriken. If you don't come at me with the intent to kill me, you won't get the bells."

Mayu frowned. She had watched this episode maybe twice in all the time she had been a fan of the show. As far as action, it had been a little lackluster to her, especially compared to later episodes. Still, being in the middle of the test got her thinking. Why the use of two bells? Could it also be a part of the test? For instance, one of the genin could managed to gain a bell for themselves, which could result in the other two going for an easier target. A way to weed out those willing to betray their own comrades at the drop of a coin… It was… smart. And also hadn’t been seen. Mayu probably shouldn’t want to test her theory, but…

"Yeah, but won’t you be in danger, sensei?!” Naruto’s loud voice halted her thoughts. “Especially since you couldn't dodge an eraser!"

"Class clowns are usually the ones with no skills. You can safely ignore them," Kakashi retorted. Mayu felt the twitch of her eyebrow. He didn’t have to say that. Judging by Naruto’s agitated face, he didn’t approve of it either.

“Excuse me, Kakashi-san!” Mayu shouted, drawing his attention. He looked surprised by the outburst. “Your last comment was not called for, especially since it’s true.”

“Sakura-chan…?”

“Yes, class clowns are usually the ones with no skill,” Mayu continued, ignoring Naruto’s voice. He sounded hurt. “But one of the main reasons for that is because they feel as though they’re ignored. So, they strive for any attention they can get, thus making people try to ignore them more than normal. Of _course_ someone who has not been shown any attention will have no skill because they haven’t been _taught_ anything! But you don’t have to use this fact as an insult!” Her eyes narrowed further, probably glaring by now. “Instead of insulting my teammate, why don’t you take a minute to understand his behavior since you have the potential of being our sensei?! This might be the next step in the interview process, but let me assure you that you’re being interviewed as well. _Got_ it?”

For a moment or two, no one spoke. She supposed her words came as quite the shock to them. Honestly, Mayu hadn’t been able to help herself. Maybe it had been because of knowledge of the mistreatment Naruto had gone through. Or maybe the situation reminded her of her own shortcomings. Who she was… had often been ignored for the simple fact that she looked different from her peers. So, yes, she had told Kakashi to his face. Mayu sharply averted her eyes. This man had a long way to go before she would start respecting him again. What he had said had been low. After another minute of silence, Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Well… it seems you are ready to come at me with an intent to kill. Perhaps I’ll start liking you guys.” His voice was soft. He briefly closed his eye. Out of the corner of Mayu’s eye, she noticed that Naruto wore a small smile in her direction. It was an unusual smile—one she hadn’t seen since she had been dropped into Haruno Sakura’s body. It was nice to look at. "You may begin when I say start."

Mayu shifted her foot, mind already made up. She would try her best to aid Naruto and Sasuke. Perhaps they would get the bells. Perhaps not. The point was to impress Kakashi with teamwork. For now, she would stick to that aspect of the survival training. Maybe she would personally ask Kakashi about the use of two bells later.

Suddenly, the jounin signaled the go ahead. Before Naruto could jumped at Kakashi, Mayu grabbed onto his jacket and practically dragged him away. Sasuke went to hide, probably intending to wait it out and strategize. He had had the right idea. Under normal circumstances, Mayu wouldn’t need the safety of the foliage to plan something. The opponents she had faced before were sparring partners, and the occasional jerk—not elite ninja. She needed support, just as much as Naruto. Speaking of the blond, he had been startled by the sudden change, and had almost began shouting in protest once they were hidden away. Mayu quickly silenced him by placing a palm over his mouth and a finger to her lips.

“ _Hush_ , Naruto…!” she hissed in a whisper, nearly glaring at him. “We can’t just rush at a _jounin_ without a plan!” That seemed to mollify him somewhat. Mayu took her palm from him and focused on the clearing. She could see Kakashi merely standing about, unconcerned, from her vantage point. “You’ll have your chance to attack, but… lend me your ear for a second first, alright?” Reluctantly, Naruto nodded his head.

0-0

Kakashi stood in the middle of the clearing, mildly impressed that all three genin had jetted off somewhere. He had believed that the loud one would come charging in with an equally loud attack. He would be the easiest to fend off, Kakashi was certain. But the blond kid had disappeared as quickly as the other two. Speaking of the other two… Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. The boy behaved in a way that was expected of him. The last of the Uchiha. His aloof nature wasn’t all that surprising, considering the reason for his status. He would be the most difficult to deal with.

Then there was the girl. Something was… off with her. He had personally read all three files of his genin team. She hadn’t stood out. Uzumaki Naruto—the demon’s container. Uchiha Sasuke—the last of his kind. The girl had been placed on a team with notable individuals. Yes, her intellect was above par, but she lacked in other things—crucial things when it came to actually living the lifestyle of a ninja. Very little stamina. Very little strength. Her mindset had been nothing to smile about either. Commentary on her record indicated her infatuation with the Uchiha boy, like so many other girls her age. A one-track mind was dangerous.

However, introducing herself had led Kakashi to believe the commentary had been wrong. She had been inquisitive in nature. Outspoken when she felt something was wrong. Teasing towards the supposed object of her affections. She was honest, almost brutally so. Not only that, but she seemed to have a bloodthirsty desire beneath the surface. That bit was worrying… and baffling, but he would file that away for later. All in all, Kakashi realized that she did not have a one-track mind. He wondered what else her records had been wrong about. He hummed thoughtfully to himself. In the end, it wouldn’t matter. She had been the unfortunate one to land on a team doomed to fail.

Doubtful these three would be any different from the previous graduates he had tested.

"Okay, it's you and me right now!" Naruto yelled, abruptly snapping Kakashi attention. Two of the genin had appeared before him, done with hiding.

"Naruto, we could have used sneaking tactics!” Sakura shouted, clearly miffed. The blond looked slightly apologetic. “Too late now…”

"Sakura, you're actually going to fight me?" Kakashi questioned, turning his attention towards her.

"What can I say? You went ahead and made me angry!” she replied. “Besides, I am _not_ getting sent back to the Academy!" Her eyes glanced towards her comrade. "Naruto and I will get those bells! Right, Naruto?"

"Right!" he agreed, nodding.

Kakashi almost smiled underneath his mask, pleasantly surprised.

Abruptly, Naruto rushed at Kakashi. In response, the man went to grab something out of his back-weapon’s pouch. The boy noticed and halted in his tracks. Hm. At least he could recognize the sudden change. "Ninja battle techniques part one,” Kakashi’s aloof voice said. “ _Taijutsu_ —the physical part.”

"What the...?" Naruto murmured. He was rightly confused. Not every day that someone pulled out reading material during a fight.

"What are you waiting for?" Kakashi asked him. Briefly, his eyes looked up from the orange book. "Make your move."

"But... Why are you reading that book?" Naruto asked.

"Why...? To find out what happens next in the story, of course," Kakashi stated. His eyes returned to the words. He made a show of flipping a page. "Don't worry about it. With your weak attacks I could read or do whatever..." The words had been meant to provoke.

"I'M GOING TO CRUSH YOU!" Naruto yelled, charging at Kakashi. Apparently, it had worked. Mentally, the jounin shook his head. The boy was quick to anger. That, he could use to his advantage.

"No, Naruto…!" Sakura called out to him.

It was too late for him to hear the warning. Naruto tried to punch him, but Kakashi ducked. The young ninja tried to kick him. However, Kakashi had evaded that as well. He was practically dancing around Naruto’s attempt at attacks. Kakashi frowned, not at all liking the display. Not only did Naruto have a weak stance, but he basically had no reflexes either. He really must have _not_ been taught. The girl had been right. Slight guilt tugged within him for making that earlier comment. He had used it as a taunt to rile up the blond. Make him sloppy. Naruto was definitely sloppy. It was a bit disappointing.

Kakashi mentally sighed, and then dodged another kick by moving behind the boy. He clasped his hands together, extending his middle and index fingers. A sharp gasp came from the girl. "Naruto, get outta the way!” Sakura shouted, noticing the hand sign from the jounin.

"Too late!" Kakashi crooned in amusement. " **Hidden Leaf Ancient Taijutsu Supreme Technique** -" His fingers met their mark. " **A Thousand Years of Death**!" Naruto flew in the air, screaming. He then splashed into the nearby pond. The girl was heard laughing near hysterics. The deed had been hilarious enough that she had fallen to the ground, clutching her belly and waving her legs in the air. Only after Kakashi cleared his throat did Sakura compose herself enough so that she stood upright. However, giggles still slipped through. "You really shouldn't laugh at a teammate, Sakura," the jounin scolded. The grin didn’t disappear from the girl’s face.

"No, no, Kakashi-san… Laughing and poking fun at a teammate is quite healthy. It builds character," Sakura explained. Then she appeared thoughtful. “At least, that’s what my mother tells me.” She lowered her hand from her belly. “Could you do that to Sasuke one day? And make sure I can witness it, of course.” Kakashi said nothing, but he did shake his head, seemingly in disapproval. But really, he was quite surprised that she wanted that prank done to her heartthrob. A few more giggles slipped through before she turned serious. "Now, are you ready?"

"So, you would like to test your luck?" Kakashi asked.

"No, I don’t intend to test my _luck_!" Sakura said. "I intend to test my skill against a capable ninja. _Impress_ me, Kakashi-san."

She came at him quicker than anticipated. Kakashi barely had time to block a kick with his arm. She was quick, agile, and strong. A newly graduated genin should not have this level of skill. And her taijutsu… Kakashi narrowly dodged a punch. The girl was clearly attempting to hit his vital points. That wasn’t standard in the Academy. In fact, he had never experienced this form of taijutsu before. Not only that, but each block had result in his limbs feeling the ache. Sakura was stronger than she looked and must have been using her chakra for enhancement. If this continued, his blocking her attacks would cost him in the long run. But if he let the attacks through…

There. A slight stumble, and Kakashi took advantage. He swiped at her, and Sakura brought her arms up in an ‘X’ formation. The strength behind the backswing, though, was enough to send her hurtling backwards. She rolled and rolled, coming to a stop right at the edge of the pond. Truthfully, he hadn’t meant to strike against her, or any of them. But… It hadn’t felt like he had been going against a child fresh out. It had felt like fighting a foe. Not a child, but a warrior.

The girl slowly stood up, all traces of amusement gone. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. Green steely eyes stared back at him as her fingers curled into fists. Then she came at him again, faster than before, and to Kakashi’s surprise, her sprint was equipped with shuriken. The two projectiles shot out from the pond, whizzing through the air straight at him. He lifted his hand, intending to casual catch the weapons. However, to his surprise, the shuriken seemed to explode. Out of the large cloud of smoke, two copies of Naruto came out, exclaiming battle cries in sync.

0-0

Mayu stopped herself from grinning. The plan had worked. Clearly, Kakashi had not been expecting clones. She boosted her speed just as Kakashi lowered his body to duck from the dual flying kicks. It cost him. Mayu slid forward, dropping low only to spring up with a left uppercut. Kakashi, of course, caught her fist before it could make contact. However, with his other hand preoccupied by holding his book, it left him vulnerable. Mayu wretched her arm free and bent backwards in the same motion. Her right leg lifted and the top of her foot smacked hard against the underside of the man’s chin.

**_Shazaam!_ **

Mayu slid to a stop, and then opened her mouth. “Now, Naruto!” On cue, ten clones jumped out of the water. All of them raced for the jounin, who had quickly recovered from the kick. Hidden amongst the crowd, Mayu also moved towards Kakashi. Preoccupied by fighting off the clones, the man couldn’t focus on her actions. Not enough, anyway. Crouching, the girl snuck a little way off behind Kakashi. Waiting for a chance, she narrowed her eyes. Seeing it, she shot forward on her hands and knees. Close enough, she lunged forward and tackled the unsuspecting jounin from behind. Well, she would have if he hadn’t dodged to the right.

Face forward, Mayu crashed against the ground. Her body rolled until she deemed herself a safe distance away. She panted lightly through clenched teeth. She felt the ache in her head, but most of the collision had been cushioned by the headband. “Sakura-chan…!” Naruto shouted, concerned. “Are you okay?” He, or one of his clones, helped her stand. She really couldn’t tell the difference between the real thing and a shadow clone. It was awesome.

"Sakura,” Kakashi called out. She shifted her attention to the jounin. The clones around him had been dispersed. Huh. So maybe the real Naruto had stood beside her. “Did you _really_ think you could tackle me? We’re ninja. As ninja, childish attempts don’t work." Patronizing. Mayu couldn’t say she liked that.

She covered her mouth and spit the item into her hand. "Actually, Kakashi-san..." Mayu began, showing off her prize. String held between her thumb and index finger, the silver bell dangled and chimed innocently in the slight wind shift. The jounin’s eye widened, clearly stunned by the feat. "I wasn't aiming for _you_." She grinned, unable to keep her eyes from appearing haughty. Kakashi looked down, noticing that he only had one bell attached to him now.

"Sakura-chan! You got a bell?! How?!”

Mayu glanced at the blond from the corner of her eye. “You, Naruto,” she replied. “You allowed me to get the bell. And he allowed me to get the bell by underestimating us.” Her focus returned to the jounin. “Mock us, if you will, but in the end, you’ll be the one that’s disappointed.” Mayu slipped the bell inside her weapon’s pouch for safe keeping. “So how about it…? Ready to put that book away, Kakashi-san?”

“Well…” he muttered. “It looks like I might have to.”

"Yeah…! We’ll get that other bell!" Naruto shouted, enthused. However, before he could make another move, a barrage of shuriken struck Kakashi down. Mayu felt her mouth drop open. "What the hell? Are you out of your _mind_ , Sasuke?!"

"Not my fault he left his guard down," Sasuke said, appearing beside the two. He looked unconcerned that he had maybe killed a man. Mayu, however, was having a hard time with it. Surely, this happened too soon, right? Hadn’t Naruto been supposed to be strung up by rope before Sasuke had made his move? Could the jounin really have been unwary of an aerial attack? She continued staring at the blade-ridden body in horrified wonder.

“Too big of a change! Too big of a change!” The sudden shout startled both boys, but she ignored them in favor of freaking out. Her actions might have just gotten Kakashi impaled for real. “He’s dead! He’s dead! We’ve _killed_ him!”


	3. Final Decision

A whack to the back of her head caused Mayu to halt her ranting. Slowly, she looked towards the one responsible. Sasuke, crossing his arms, stared back at her unimpressed. “Would you shut up? You’re annoying,” he told her. She blinked once in response. He scowled before gesturing towards the fallen body. Mayu turned her attention to the body, only to discover that it had transformed into a large trunk of a tree. She blinked again before reality hit. Relieved, she released the air held back in her lungs. So Hatake Kakashi would live to fight another day, after all. Maybe it had been foolish to assume he would succumb to an attack like that.

"Damn it, Sasuke!” Mayu shouted once she had calmed down. “Now we don't know where he is!"

"Shut up,” he retorted. “I thought he dropped his guard!"

"You know what? That's why you look like a _peacock_!" she hissed, irritated. He did not like the insult, but Naruto snickered. Uncaringly, Mayu sighed lightly. She should have incorporated Sasuke’s reaction, too. That had been her bad. "We have to come up with a new plan!" she informed the two.

"I say we split up, so it can be easier to find him," Sasuke suggested.

"That won't-" Before Mayu could finish, the two had already disappeared. "-work." She breathed in deeply, and then released it slowly. The deep breaths were not helping in stifling her desire to throttle the two idiots. Should she use violence against them for them to listen? Because right now, she had no problem with it. Status as main characters be damned. Gritting her teeth, she glared at the ground.

"Sakura... behind you," a voice whispered.

“Huh…?” Sounding a bit dense, the girl turned around. Kakashi had appeared right behind her. His face was mere centimeters away from her own. Her eyes widened, and then she screamed in fright, stumbling backwards until she was a safe distance away. “What the hell?!" Mayu yelled. "That wasn’t funny!"

"Sorry,” Kakashi said, not looking the least bit apologetic. “Maybe you should consider it payback for that kick to the chin.”

“I didn’t realize you were so petty, Kakashi-san,” Mayu muttered, scratching at her cheek.

"You know, I was quite surprised when you wanted to fight as well," Kakashi stated. "Most girls would have stood by and watched someone else fight for them."

"Full offense—you don’t know me,” Mayu stated. “And you don’t know most girls. Don’t judge me based on my gender or the color of my skin.” Even in this world, she had to say the same thing to a mentor-like person. _Haah_. It was irritating. "Now if you will excuse me... I have to go find my teammates, so we can get that last bell." She walked away, leaving Kakashi standing there. However, before she could get far, a flurry of leaves surrounded her. It was impossible to see through them. When the leaves finally subsided, it appeared as though she had been transported to a forest. Her eyes cleared, and she looked around in confusion.

"Mayu..." a strained voice got her attention. Baffled, she turned around. The person—male—had known her real name. The sight of a man that she did not know greeted her. He had deep brown eyes, ivory skin, and dark brown hair. Most of his hair combed over his right eye. From what she could tell, the man was bleeding quite profusely from his neck. His hand clutched at the injury in a futile effort to stop the bleeding. "M-Mayu-chan…h-help me… Please help me!"

Mayu stared, horrified by the sight. The unknown man gagged on his blood, and it caused her chest to ache. Her mind spun, but her body remained frozen in place. She did not know this man, but that did not stop the tears from slipping from her eyes. “Father…” she whimpered without her brain telling her to. She shifted forward, but then halted. What? _Father_? This was not her father. Mayu quickly shook her head. “Could this be…? Genjutsu?”

As soon as the question slipped through her mouth, the illusion faded from her mind. Suddenly, she was back in the clearing, clear skies above. Mayu blinked rapidly. She placed a hand over her chest. Her heart was beating faster than before. Whoa… Ninja really were on a different level. Attacking the mind, and making her body react to it. She swallowed hard. Almost, she had fallen for it. Most likely, she would have if the genjutsu had been her real father.

Mayu sniffed lightly, reaching up to wipe the liquid from her cheeks. It had been scary, regardless. She would have to figure out a way to get out of genjutsu in the future. Quickly. She probably wouldn’t know it the next time around, and it would only take a second for a foe to take advantage. Kakashi had been lenient. Others wouldn’t be. So, with that determined thought, Mayu hurriedly took off in hopes of finding the other two. From what she remembered, they hadn’t been tested in genjutsu, but who knows what her very presence could change?

0-0

Mayu sighed again. She had lost count of the number of times she had by this point. She had been wandering the area for a good twenty minutes. She hadn’t come across Naruto or Sasuke. Kakashi had also made himself scarce. She had even tried ringing the bell she had collected to bait one of them, and it hadn’t worked. So far, she was by herself, and was getting more and more frustrated as time ticked on. This was taking forever, and it was nearly noon, wasn’t it? It sure felt like it. She wasn’t necessarily hungry, but she had an internal eating-time clock, and it was about to ring.

“Seriously, what do I have to do to find them?” Mayu grumbled, frowning at her misfortune.

The girl paid no mind to the ground in front of her, so she thought nothing of it when she stepped on what felt like a large rock. However, when that rock made a noise, Mayu halted her footsteps. Maybe it was just her imagination running away with her. Humming to herself, she walked backwards. The rock made the noise again. Once again, she walked forward, but this time it wasn't just a noise.

"Stop stepping on me!" It sounded like Sasuke's voice. Finally, Mayu turned and looked down to see what she had stepped on. Sure enough, Sasuke seemed to be stuck in the ground, up to his neck. She stared at him for a full minute, and he returned the stare. With each second that passed, the blush on his cheeks became that much more noticeable. Mayu cracked a smile. “Don’t you _dare_!” Sasuke warned, seeing the beginnings of it. She ignored his warning. Laughter nearly exploded from her mouth. It took a long time before she calmed down enough. In her fit, she had fallen to the ground. Still giggling, she crawled over to the defenseless shinobi. He scowled, more than a little annoyed.

“Should I draw on your face?” Mayu asked.

“Should I kill you in your sleep?”

“Touché, Sasuke.” She held back another snicker. "What’d you do?" she crooned, poking at his cheek. “Tell me what you did~!”

"Are you going to do something or not?" Sasuke was clearly embarrassed about his little predicament. To spite him, Mayu pulled on his cheek. He nearly growled at her as he snapped his head away from her touch. Giggling some more, she finally attempted to dig him out. It took some work, but eventually she got his arms free. She managed to yank him out of the ground like a carrot.

"See…? This is what happens when you don't listen to the smart one in the group!" Mayu playfully scolded, wagging a finger in his face. The ungrateful brat swatted at her hand.

"I've got to get a bell before lunch and that doesn't leave much time!" Sasuke said. He turned his back on Mayu. She rolled her eyes, and then stepped to his side.

"You're going to need my help," she stated.

"No, I won't," Sasuke said. He began to walk away. Mayu bristled. If she didn’t have so much riding on this team becoming a team, she would have dropped him unconscious.

"Oh…? Says the guy whose body was stuck in the ground a few minutes ago?” she said through gritted teeth. “How bold of you!" Sasuke flinched, and then stood stalk still. Mayu smirked, knowing her words had gotten to him. “Yeah, I thought so.” She stood next to him again, tilting her body a bit to look at his face. She clasped her hands behind her back. To her amusement, his cheeks were a bit pink. Her smirk spread into a grin, and Sasuke sharply turned his face away.

"That was a onetime thing!" he protested.

"Not if you refuse to acknowledge and accept that you are on a _team_!" Mayu retorted. Slowly, he turned to look at her. She stood up straight. “If we were meant to go off and do things on our own, they wouldn’t put us in teams in the first place. You saw what happened? Naruto was my distraction. My objective—our objective is to get the bells.” A heavy sigh left her mouth. “You don’t have to like us, but, at least, use us to your advantage. Let us cover up your weaknesses and rely on your strengths, and you can do the same for us. Do you really think I would allow you to be pulled into the ground again if I was by your side?”

Sasuke’s expression softened somewhat. Hopefully, the words had gotten through to him. Uchiha Sasuke was a pitiful boy. Mayu had recognized it from her time spent watching the show. Always alone. Always thinking of the big kill. He kept others at a distance. She saw that he thought no one was worth his time. He had the skill to back up his arrogance—no denying that. From his experience, he needed no one. Bonds had undeniably hurt him. Mayu had understood the reason for his aloof nature. But it was wrong. At least it was to her. She found herself drawn to him, wanting to shake that deep-rooted wrongness. Simply because she had admired his talent.

“Listen, Sasuke… We can get the last bell,” Mayu continued. “With Naruto, our teamwork would be more complex, and Kakashi-san won’t know how to deal with that. Even fresh out of the Academy students might overpower an elite ninja.”

“And what happens when we do?” Sasuke questioned. Mayu’s eyebrow jerked upward. “If we get the bell, then we’ll have two. How will we decide who gets what?”

“I’ve already decided,” Mayu replied. “You have a… noble goal. As does Naruto. Of course, I would give you both the bells.”

“… But… don’t you also-?” Before he could finish his question, the sound of the alarm rang, startling both ninja. Sasuke’s eyes grew wide. “Crap! We wasted too much time!” He took off, forcing Mayu to do the same. Together, they raced in the direction of the alarm.

0-0

Three genin sat before one jounin. Well, Mayu and Sasuke were sitting. Naruto had been tied to the middle stump. Apparently, he had attempted to steal a lunch for himself. When asked why by an incredulous Mayu, Naruto merely said that he had gotten hungry again. His growling stomach was proof of that. Mayu shut her eyes, hugging her knees. She had thought giving breakfast would have stopped him from doing that. But Naruto couldn’t be dissuaded from feeding his appetite. She supposed he couldn’t fault him for that. Many a time, she had prioritized her stomach over other things. Homework and studying being a few of them. Her mother had never been so merciful when this happened.

After a moment, Mayu opened her eyes. Kakashi stared down at them, arms crossed, seemingly disappointed. Did all adults share _The Look_? They had run out of time. Noon had come and gone, and now they all waited for judgement. “Uh-oh… Is that your stomachs growling?” Kakashi asked. Only Naruto seemed to have a problem with the taunt. He wiggled and squirmed against the binding rope. “That’s too bad. Oh, except for Sakura. She was the only one who managed to get a bell.”

"Yeah… But Naruto did help me!" Mayu protested. "I'm pretty sure that Sasuke would have helped us, too… _if_ he wasn't such a bird brain!" She noticed the slight glare from said Uchiha, but she only shrugged.

"Yes, I am well aware of your teamwork with Naruto," Kakashi stated. He paused for a moment, choosing to walk over to a large, glossy black rock. "Did you guys look at this stone? The names engraved on it? They were all ninja who are honored as heroes in our village."

"That's it! That's it! That's it! Now I know!" Naruto suddenly yelled out. Again he wiggled, this time in excitement. "I've decided that I want my name engraved on that stone! I'm not going to live and die for nothing like a dog! I'm going to be a hero! A hero!"

"They are... a special kind of hero," Kakashi continued.

"What kinda heroes are they?" Naruto asked. "Come on, tell us!"

"They are all... K.I.A," Kakashi answered, softly.

"That sounds real cool!" Naruto grinned.

"You think so?" Mayu asked, glancing at the blond. "Because I’m fairly sure that it means _Killed In Action_. They all died, Naruto." After processing, he became understandably quiet.

"This is a memorial stone,” Kakashi further elaborated, gaze on the stone. “The names of my closest friends are engraved here." Mayu lowered her eyes to the ground. Somehow, she had a sudden thought that she had been treating the man unfairly. He also had a story—not just Naruto. As it stood, none of them really knew each other. Kakashi cleared his throat, returning his focus to the three of them. “Since Naruto and Sakura worked together, I’ll give you one last chance,” he informed them.

“R-Really…?” Naruto asked.

“ _Mm_ ,” Kakashi nodded. “I’ll extend the time limit by three hours. You can eat your lunch to build up strength, but Naruto doesn’t get any.” Of course, the blond nearly screamed his protest. “It’s your punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat by yourself.” He shifted his eye to Sasuke, and then Mayu. “And if any of you tries to feed him, that person will automatically fail. I make the rules and you will follow them. Got it?”

“Got it, Kakashi-sensei,” Mayu replied. The man regarded her carefully, but she only smiled before standing to retrieve the boxed lunches. By the time she turned around again, Kakashi was gone. With the two lunchboxes in hand, Mayu walked back over to Naruto and Sasuke. Kakashi had already moved the third, probably to ensure that it wouldn’t be given to the blond. Sasuke held out his hand, and Mayu gave him his meal. In silence, the two began eating while Naruto looked on in envy. Mayu briefly wondered how long she should wait.

"This is no big deal! I can go without eating for days!" Naruto yelled out. "This is no big deal!" And then his stomach began growling again, contradicting his words. "No problem..." he wheezed, still trying to convince himself. Sasuke sighed, and then held out the boxed meal. The bento was practically shoved in Naruto’s face.

"Here," he said.

"Wow, Sasuke. _Progress_ …!" Mayu praised him.

“ _Hn_.”

"What?" Naruto asked, confusion blatant in his voice.

"Kakashi-sensei's gone… We need to get that bell as a team," Sasuke explained. "If Naruto's hungry he will be weak and ineffective, and that hurts the team and jeopardizes the mission." He looked at Mayu, and then frowned. She narrowed her eyes, but the corner of her lips twitched upward. "It's just like you said, Sakura. We need my strength as well as Naruto’s. Your strategies could work in our favor, too. I know you came up with that plan against him. We could make a balanced team."

“I’m glad you’ve recognized it, bird brain."

"Whatever..." he replied, looking away.

Stifling a smile, Mayu stood up with her bento in her hand. She moved over to the stump, and using her chopsticks offered a bit of rice to Naruto. "Open wide, Naruto!" she told him.

" _Kay_!" he exclaimed, happily.

"No blushing! I already told you that I don't like you like that!" Mayu scolded. The blond ninja pouted, but didn’t protest. He opened his mouth further so that the food could be placed on his tongue. The first person she had ever fed should be so lucky, but she couldn’t imagine Sasuke doing it in her place.

**Why couldn’t it be Gaara-kun?!**

"Hurry up! He could come back any minute! Stop chatting and feed him!" Sasuke ordered.

"Stop chatting and feed him!" Mayu mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "Shut up, bird boy!" He scowled, irritated by the comment. However, she did pick up the pace. As soon as Naruto swallowed the bit, a cloud of smoke caught their attention.

"YOU…!" Kakashi yelled, popping up out of nowhere.

" _Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh_!" Mayu screamed. She would have continued to scream had it not been for Sasuke clamping a hand over her mouth. She glared at him, and he glared right back at her.

"You broke the rules!" Kakashi continued. The two shifted their glares in the jounin’s direction. The smoke was gone now, but he still had that intimidating presence. "I hope you're ready for the punishment!" He formed several hand seals. Thunderclouds started forming, causing Mayu’s eyes to widen. How was he even _doing_ this? Was this a jutsu? Or another genjutsu? "Any last words?"

"Ya see, what had h-happened was-" Mayu stammered, voice muffled because Sasuke’s hadn’t removed his hand.

"B-B-But you said..." Naruto began to say.

"Yes...?"

"You said that there were three of us! That's what you said, and that's why... Sakura-chan and..." Naruto murmured. His blue eyes glanced at Sasuke.

"We're all on this squad, and we're all in this together," he said.

"Yeah…! That’s true!" Mayu backed them up after she had swatted Sasuke’s hand away. "We are _one_!"

"The three of you are one? _That's_ your excuse?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah!” Naruto shouted, managing to sound more confident. Kakashi chuckled, and then his eye closed. “Huh?”

"You… _pass_!" he said.

"Huh?" Naruto said dumbfounded.

"You pass," Kakashi repeated with a sure nod of his head. "You're the first squad that has ever succeeded. The others did exactly what I said and fell into every trap. They couldn't think for themselves.” The thunderclouds had disappeared. Apparently, stranger things have happened because neither Naruto nor Sasuke commented on that. "A ninja must see through deception. In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum. That's true, but... those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."

Mayu grinned and mentally patted herself on the back. Her presence hadn’t drastically changed the formation of Team 7, after all. She glanced to her right and observed that Naruto had been about to cry. Sasuke only smirked as though he been knew.

"He's _uh_... ya know... kinda cool,” Naruto blubbered, clearly relieved.

"The training is over! Everyone passes!" Kakashi continued. "Squad 7 starts their first mission tomorrow!" He even gave thumbs up.

"I did it! I'm a ninja! Ninja! Ninja!" Naruto cried out, tears of joy streaming down his cheeks.

"I'm a ninja! It's your birthday! I'm a ninja!" Mayu sang, excitedly as she jumped up and down. "Dude, we're ninja now!"

"Yeah…! Isn't this great?" Naruto said.

"Dude, I'ma go to parties and people won't even know I'm there, and they will be like 'Did you hear something?' And they'd look up and see me, and I'm going to be on the ceiling! And they're gonna be like 'What the—a ninja? Awesome, it’s a party!' I'm gonna be like 'Just throw the cake up here please!'" Mayu rambled. "Dude, I'm a ninja!"

"You… make no sense," Sasuke remarked.

“I’m wearing all black!”

“You’re wearing red…” Sasuke pointed out, furrowing his brow.

"Yes!” Mayu pointed, dramatically, in a random direction. “We must go ninja in the night!" And then the song began. “Like the shadow serpent… silence is my veil~! Yes, and the precision of the cobra… ninja kill and leave no _traaaaaaaaiiiilll_! We know ancient stuff, and we have fun-” She clapped several times to censor the curse word. “-things up! For _instants_!” Mayu twirled around several times. “In the confusion of a smoke bomb, I could remove your underwear and you wouldn’t even notice!” Sasuke looked a bit disgusted by the statement. “I can jump roof—to roof—and get my friends free cable… It’s _badass_!” She crossed her wrists in front of her face. “I used my ninja star… to pick the lock… and steal your car!” She moved her hands as if she flung shuriken at invisible targets. “ROCK AND ROLL!” This shout seemed to startle them all. “Ninja of the-! Ninja of the-! Ninja of the _night_ ~!”

After the incredible performance, there was only silence. They were so in awe of Mayu’s amazing voice that they were stunned speechless.

"You have a horrible voice. Never again are you allowed to sing,” Sasuke said, lip twitching in clear abhorrence.

"I’m inclined to agree with Sasuke…" Kakashi muttered.

“I liked it, Sakura-chan! Can you teach me?" Naruto asked.

“Sure thing! My best-”

“And _only_ ,” Sasuke cut in.

“-Fan!” Mayu finished, glaring at the Uchiha for his insolence.

"Never mind that..." Kakashi said, turning. Obviously disturbed. Mayu pouted. "Let' go home." He walked away, leading Sasuke and Mayu to follow him.

**Gaara-kun, I’m coming for you!**

0-0


	4. Journey

"Sasuke... I'm at point B.”

"Sakura here…! Point C!"

"… Naruto—I’m at point A!"

"You're _slow_ , Naruto!" Kakashi scolded. He even sighed, signaling his disappointment. Mayu shook her head. At the moment, the four of them were on a mission. It was a retrieval mission, and it had been the first time audio equipment had been used. Each team member wore an earpiece. Mayu was a bit intrigued on when this time was supposed to be. "Okay, Team 7—the target has moved!" Kakashi’s voice came through, causing her to focus on the task. "Follow it!"

As instructed, the three shifted their positions, going after the elusive target. This target was beginning to become frustrating. The team had been after the same target for about two hours now. Mayu came to a halt and narrowed her eyes. The target was nearby—the closest that any of them had gotten. She took a brief look at her surroundings. Sasuke was behind her and Naruto was above in the tree. They could successfully ambush the target this way. No more running away. “Kakashi-sensei, we’re close,” Mayu stated in a whisper. “Can confirm red ribbon from my vantage point.”

"Good job, Sakura. What's your distance from the target?" Kakashi questioned.

"5 meters," Naruto answered. "I'm ready—just give the signal."

"I'm ready, too," Sasuke said.

"NOW!" Kakashi instructed. The three genin jumped towards the creature, but it was Naruto that grabbed it. The target was a brown cat with a red ribbon in the shape of a bow attached to her ear. Mayu clasped her hands behind her back as she watched her teammate struggle with the feline. The kitty didn’t seem all that happy about being caught off guard. To show her displeasure, the cat scratched profusely at the blond.

"I got him! I got him!" Naruto cheered, despite the numerous scratches the cat inflicted. Shaking her head, Mayu walked forward, and then plucked the cat off her teammate by the scruff of her neck. The feline hissed and whined, but ultimately stopped aggressively waving her paws around.

“It’s a girl, Naruto,” Mayu stated. The blond scoffed, uncaringly, as Mayu held the cat close to her chest. She didn’t struggle. In fact, the cat cozied up. Mayu couldn’t help but melt. Cute…! “ _Aww_! It’s okay now. Naruto won’t hurt you anymore!” she cooed, scratching at the cat’s forehead.

" _Me_? Hurt that thing?!" Naruto screamed out incredulous. "It's the devil incarnate!"

"Like Sakura said, we have a positive ID," Sasuke confirmed, not really paying attention to his teammates’ antics.

"Right, lost pet, Tora, captured," Kakashi said. "Mission accomplished."

"CAN'T WE GET A BETTER MISSION THAN THIS?!" Naruto yelled. "I _HATE_ CATS!"

0-0

“My goodness… No wonder the cat ran away,” Mayu murmured, watching the owner of Tora practically squeeze the life out of the poor kitty. It was a terrifying scene to watch. Didn’t the large woman know how to handle a cat? She should if she owned one, for crying out loud. She found herself shaking her head. Honestly, ignorant people nowadays…

"Stupid cat…! That kitty _deserves_ to be squashed!" Naruto snickered at the cat’s suffering.

"Now then…” The Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen—spoke up again. He had already congratulated them on a job well done. “For Team 7’s next mission, we have several available tasks." The first time Mayu saw him, she realized how old he really was. He had more wrinkles than what the show let on. Still, he had that friendly grandfather face. He definitely could block a swinging kick, old ninja or not. But Mayu assumed she would be drawn and quartered if she attempted to kick at the Leaf’s leader. "Among them are babysitting the chief councilor’s three-year-old, helping his wife to do the shopping, digging up potatoes-"

The missions were chores. The beginnings of a ninja’s career were not glamorous. It had been over a week of these type of missions. The team had not left the village, and they were all left to their own devices once they cleared the missions. There was a lot of leisure time in the days following the team’s formation. Mayu had did her best to train on her own. Training sessions with the team was pretty much nonexistence. Kakashi didn’t really teach anything so far. The Academy training should suffice for now, he had told them. And so, Mayu slowly improved all on her own. She still hadn’t nailed any low-level jutsu, though. She struggled making seals still.

Mayu hummed lightly as she listened to the Hokage go on and on with the available tasks. She wondered how long it took this team to begin real missions outside of the village. For the life of her, she couldn’t recall when exactly an arc would start. Honestly, she could only remember details of the Chuunin Exam, and a little beyond. Truthfully, she had stopped watching after… Her eyes glanced in Sasuke’s direction.

"Noooo!" Naruto groaned in agony, startling Mayu out of her thoughts. His loud voice also caused the Hokage stop and look at him. "I want to go on a _real_ mission!" he shouted with his arms crossed in the formation of an X. "Something challenging and exciting! Not this little kid stuff! Come on, old man!"

" _Ah_ , he’s finally reached his breaking point," Mayu remarked. Sasuke nodded his head in agreement. “I was wondering when this would happen.”

"Though, he has a point," Sasuke replied.

"How dare you?!" Iruka yelled, slamming his hands on the desk in front of him. "You're just a brand new genin with no experience! Like everyone else you start with simple missions to develop your skills and improve yourself!"

"Are you _serious_?! Babysitting is not a mission! It's just a stupid-!" Naruto's little tirade was but off by Kakashi knocking him over the head.

"Would you put a lid on it?" he asked, flatly.

"Naruto, it seems you do not understand the tasks you have been given," the Hokage commented, gaining the blonde’s attention. Mayu had heard this speech before. From her father, and several times from her mother. Chores were important because they allowed the individual to gain insight further into responsibility. She had learned the same thing in her Martial Arts classes. And school. It was a big thing in Japan. Start responsibility young so that one could have a successful life. And give back to the community at large. Because of that, Mayu stopped paying attention to the Hokage.

Instead, she, and it seemed the rest of her team, began listening to Naruto. The blond was rambling about his plans for the evening. Dinner plans, to be specific. She wondered if she could find _Ichiraku_ on her own. Naruto made the place sound awesome. “… so then I had this ramen yesterday, and I was thinking miso ramen today,” Naruto stated.

"Silence…!" the Hokage nearly roared. The team of four stood at attention, flinching of the glare on the old man’s face. Definitely not the leader for nothing. He seemed very much offended that his story had been unheard. Mayu sheepishly ducked her head. It felt like she was about to be scolded by her grandfather.

"Oh, sorry," Kakashi said, rubbing the back of his head, also seemingly sheepish.

"You're always lecturing me like you're my grandfather or something!” Naruto, however, was unaffected. He crossed his arms in a pout. “But I'm not the little brat that used to pull pranks! I'm a ninja now and I want a ninja mission!"

"I'm going to hear about this later..." Kakashi said, sighing heavily.

"Naruto wants us to know he's not a brat. He's a former brat," the Hokage said. "And he wants a mission... so be it."

"Huh?" Naruto said.

"What...?" Sasuke said.

So, this was the start, was it? The reason for the change of chores to dangerous missions had been because of Naruto’s whining. "Since you are so determined, I'm going to give you a C-rank mission," the Hokage continued, and then took a long drag of his pipe. Mayu found herself smirking. "You will be bodyguards on a journey."

"Really...?" Naruto said, turning his head. "Yes! Who? Are we guarding a princess or-?"

"Calm down, Naruto!" Mayu pulled him up from the floor by the back of his collar. He quieted down instantly. Mayu returned her gaze to their leader. "Who is our client, Hokage-sama?”

"I will bring him in now," the Hokage said. "Send in our visitor!" The four turned around, focusing on the door. An older man came into view with a bottle of sake in his hand. He had gray hair and glasses on his face. Mayu vaguely recognized him, and her lips parted in surprise. If she remembered correctly, this man had been connected to the dangerous mission in the Land of Waves.

"What the-? A bunch of snot-nosed kids?" The man’s words came slurred and slow. The man was clearly drunk. Mayu narrowed her eyes. He was a bit rude, considering. They were in the presence of the Third Hokage, after all. The drunk took a swig of the alcoholic beverage. Not only that… The quick assessment of her teammates and herself made Mayu wanted to punch him. Repeatedly. “You, the little one with the idiotic look on your face,” the man continued, pointing a finger. “Do you really expect me to believe you’re a ninja?”

Naruto started laughing, looking around in search of the person fitting that description. "Who's the little one with the idiotic look on his f-" He stopped, furrowing his brow as Mayu and Sasuke stood on either side of him. The young Uchiha was the tallest. Mayu, in this body, was second, and Naruto was the shortest of them all. Realization dawned on him. Expectedly, the blond became angry. "I'll _demolish_ you!" he yelled. Fortunately, Kakashi grabbed him by collar before he could launch an attack.

"You can't demolish our clients. It doesn't work that way," he scolded.

"I'm the super expert bridge builder, Tazuna,” the man finally introduced himself. “I expect you guys to protect me until I get back to my country and complete the bridge."

0-0

Naruto was torn. On one hand, he was super excited that he finally got a mission where he could show off his stuff. He would be outside of the village for the first time in his life, and it would be epic. Stupid Sasuke could stuff it. This was the next step in his path to becoming Hokage. His body wiggled as he walked towards the entrance of the village because he couldn’t contain his excitement. Then on the other hand, this was a pretty horrible first client. They could have gotten a princess or a daimyo, but no. They were stuck with an old drunkard… who liked to insult them without warning. Jerk.

Keeping a snort in, Naruto picked up the pace to the gates. He hadn’t needed to worry about it. He had gotten enough of that from the villagers anyway. He should be used to it. When the blond reached the front gates, he noticed that Sasuke and Sakura were already there. Both had bags strapped to their backs. Sasuke stood alone with his arms crossed, head turned to the side. Sakura seemed to be grinning to herself, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Naruto matched her cheery grin, and then ran forward. He stretched his arm up in a wave.

“Sakura-chan!” he greeted.

“Hey, Naruto,” she greeted him as well. Not as excited, but she had greeted him all the same. Wow. She had really changed from their days back at the Academy. Now, she hardly ever ignored him. And made fun of Sasuke a lot. That was cool. Actually, the only times she had ignored him had been when she had a dazed look on her face. But Sakura had told them the reason for that at the beginning, so it wasn’t that strange. He liked her even more now, especially since she never hit him anymore. “Are you ready for the mission?”

“Hell yeah! Bring it on!” Naruto gave a victory sign. “Watch me show off my super cool ninja moves!”

"I'm glad to see that you're so enthusiastic about this mission," Kakashi's voice interrupted whatever Sakura might have said next. They both turned to see their sensei walking towards them, along with the bridge builder. Naruto huffed lightly. The drunk didn’t seem to notice the glare being directed at him. Once Kakashi verified a few things with the team—basically, going over the parameters of the mission again—the five of them headed out.

"Yeah!" Naruto shouted once everyone had made it past the gates. "This is the first time I've left the village! I'm a traveler now!”

"Am I supposed to trust this brat with my life?" Tazuna asked. He sounded uneasy about the whole thing. He rudely pointed to Naruto, who scowled. "This kid's a _joke_!"

"He's with me, and I'm a jounin, so you don't need to worry," Kakashi chuckled lightly.

"Hey! Never insult a ninja!" Naruto yelled, pointing. "It's a big mistake! And I am one of the greatest ninja ever. Someday, I'll be the greatest Hokage, and then you will have to look up to me! My name is Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Kage are powerful and wise. _You_ are puny and brainless," bridge builder remarked. Naruto could feel his face twist in anger. "The day you become Hokage is the day I sprout wings and fly."

"Shut up…!” he shouted. “I'm willing to do anything to become Hokage… No matter what it takes! And when I do, everyone will have to admit that I'm the top ninja, including _you_!"

"I wouldn't acknowledge you even if you do become Hokage... ten times over!" bridge builder said. Screw it! Naruto was really going to demolish this guy. Releasing a battle cry, he lunged for him, but Kakashi got a hold of his backpack, keeping him in place. It wasn’t fair! Who was this guy to be so…!

“Hey!” Sakura shouted, sounding pissed. Naruto flinched, thinking he was about to be called annoying. Maybe even hit. Yeah, he had been a little loud. He recognized the angry tone. It came right before the punch to the face. However, when he peeked at the girl, her ire seemed to be directed at the bridge builder. “Knock it off with the comments, old man!” Not just Naruto, but the rest of them stared at her, stunned into silence. “I’m sick of you insulting my teammate! How dare you, a _stranger_ , trample over and mock his dream?!” She stomped towards the drunk, who took a step back. “Say something _again_ , and I’ll kick your ass all the way to the Land of Waves! Got it?!”

Sakura then sharply turned away, and then began walking again, leaving everyone else behind. Naruto blinked. Then blinked again because the corner of his eyes were doing this weird thing. He swallowed hard as he stared at the girl’s back. It hadn’t been the first time she had stood up for him, and he was just as blown away by it this time. Sakura had never treated him like this in school. It was like… she didn’t see him as an annoying _thing_. She saw him as a person and seemed to believe in him. Why…? What had changed? The pretty girl he admired was finally acknowledging him. It seemed like she wanted to be his _friend_. An actual friend.

“Thank you, Sakura-chan,” Naruto found himself whispering. “I’m gonna be the best friend ever!”

0-0

Hours had gone by, and Mayu was absolutely bored. Naruto had been hyperactive in the beginning, but even his energy had faded over time. Mayu wished she had brought a book along with the other items she had packed. No one seemed to want to make conversation now. And humming lyrics to herself would only get her so far. So, she attempted to remember what came next. Honestly, she didn’t know, though. Her knowledge of this dangerous mission extended to Haku. All she knew was that this mission was the start of Team 7’s simple missions turning into complicated higher-ranked missions.

"Hey… Kakashi-sensei?" Mayu began, hoping to prompt some type of trigger… or interesting conversation.

"Yes...?" he asked.

"What does a Hokage do exactly?" she asked.

"Hokage rule over thousands of ninja," Kakashi answered in the simplest way he knew how.

"Seriously...?" Mayu murmured. She looked up in thought. "Naruto ruling over thousands of ninja? I wonder what that would be like." Suddenly, a visual of said teammate being Hokage came to mind. He demanded that everyone eat, at least, four bowls of Ramen every day. He would also order that each ninja must wear an orange jumpsuit so that it could be the trademark of the Leaf village. She smiled, not being able to contain her giggles. She had just had a clear visual of Kakashi and Sasuke in the same outfit as Uzumaki Naruto.

"What's _wrong_ with you?" Sasuke asked. His voice made the girl turn towards him. Her face cracked, unable to hold back the grin. His eyebrow twitched and he frowned. Laughter burst from her mouth as she pointed a finger at him. She could practically sense the eye roll from him. "Okay, forget I asked..."

Wiping a tear away, Mayu finally calmed down, grin still lingering. She had freaked out everyone else in the group as well. Yeah, she was just that talented. "Well, anyway, there are no ninja battles in a C-rank mission," Kakashi stated, placing his hand on the girl’s head. "So, you can relax."

**Relax? I want to go into a heated battle already!**

Another hour passed, and the silence had become bothersome once again. The group had crossed a bridge a few minutes ago. Mayu noticed walking by a puddle of water. There were no other puddles around. Suspicious, suspicious…! "Kakashi-sensei?" Mayu called out to him.

"Yes, Sakura," Kakashi said.

"Has it rained recently?"

"I don't think so. Why do you ask?" Kakashi asked.

"It's just… I noticed awhile back that there was a puddle," Mayu whispered to him. “It was a bit strange to see one, but not any others.”

" _Hm_... You're quite the observer, Sakura," he praised as he patted her head.

"Okay, I’m getting a bit tired of being treated like I am a pet, Kakashi-sensei," Mayu mentioned, swatting the jounin’s hand away. Kakashi only chuckled in amusement. And tried to get at her again. Huffing lightly, she picked up her pace, away from the man’s wandering hand. Then without warning, something shot out towards Kakashi. Eyes widening, Mayu realized that it was a metal chain. She turned to see that it had wrapped securely around the jounin. Naruto shouted for their sensei, but the man remained frozen in place. Mayu quickly shifted her attention to where the chain had come from. Two unfamiliar men had appeared out of nowhere, apparently hoping to take out the higher-ranked ninja in a surprise attack. An order was given, and then the two ninja pulled on the metal. Their efforts ripped Kakashi apart.

"K-Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called out in disbelief, drawing attention to him. The two ran over to him. Clearly, they intended for him to be the next target. It was too late to try to warn him. For some reason, Naruto appeared paralyzed. The ninja flung their metal things in the air, but Sasuke pinned the chains to a tree. He had successfully trapped them. One of them shouted that he couldn’t get loose. Sasuke then kicked the two. However, one of them did get loose and headed straight for Tazuna. Mayu ran in front of the old man.

"Stay behind me!" she instructed. Her legs trembled, but she pushed herself to ignore the quickening of her heart. As soon as the ninja was close enough, Mayu shot a hand forward. Her palm struck, snapping the ninja’s head to the side. With her other hand, her fingers curled into a fist and delivered a fierce uppercut. Disoriented, the ninja did not prevent the swinging high kick. When her foot collided, she cried out in victory. “ _Shazaam_!” The ninja slammed against the ground.

"Sakura...!" Sasuke exclaimed the name. Ninja were more resilient than the average guy, so he came at Mayu again. Sasuke appeared at her side, and together, the two genin launched a double kick. The soles of their opposite feet hit the ninja directly in the face. In the _face_! This was so amazing! The enemy ninja sailed through air, body twisting because of the force behind the kicks. He collided hard with the unyielding force of the ground. Mayu lowered her leg until her foot touched the ground again. The ninja did not get back up.

“Kickass!” Mayu shouted in glee. Beside her, Sasuke smirked. Kakashi, luckily, decided to make his appearance. He had grabbed the ninja before they could attack again. Mayu shifted her gaze to Kakashi. “And where were _you_?”

“Busy,” he answered. That… smartass remark was cool. But the important thing was that he was alive. He looked towards the blond of the team. "Naruto, sorry I didn't help you right away. I didn't mean for you to get hurt," Kakashi stated. Still, he had a hold on the ninja. "I just didn't think you’d freeze up like that." He started walking towards Mayu and Sasuke. "Good job, Sasuke. It was very smooth. You, too, Sakura. Nice combination."

"Damn right," Mayu smirked.

"Hey!" Sasuke got Naruto's attention. "You're not hurt are you... _scaredy cat_?"

"Sasuke-!"

"Naruto, stand still... these ninja had poison in their claws," Kakashi mentioned. "We need to take out the poison as soon as possible. Don't move around. That spreads it." Naruto... It was really surprising to see him this way. Mayu watched her teammate, furrowing her brow. Thinking about it, maybe it had been his very first encounter with a danger such as this. She, herself, had frozen when she had had her first experience with an actual fight. Perhaps she should have paid more attention to this arc to see the development. "By the way, Tazuna-san..." Kakashi said.

" _Uh_... Yeah, what?" bridge builder muttered.

"We need to talk," he answered. Kakashi then tied the two ninja to a nearby tree. The five stood in front of them. "They are chuunin from the Hidden Mist village," Kakashi informed. "Their specialty is relentless attack. They keep fighting no matter what the sacrifice."

"How did you know about our ambush?" one of the ninja asked.

"Sakura... would you like to explain?" Kakashi asked, shifting the attention to the girl.

Suddenly feeling flushed, Mayu cleared her throat. She shut her eyes for a few seconds to compose herself. "Thanks for putting me on the spot, Kakashi-sensei!” she began. His eye seemed to smile at her. Huffing a bit, Mayu continued. “Earlier, before the attack, I saw this puddle. It was only one puddle. Moreover, it hasn’t rained recently. What an oddity, right?” She looked down at the tied-up ninja. "Your little trap couldn’t fool me or Kakashi-sensei."

"Very good explanation, Sakura," he praised.

"Thank you!" Mayu responded with a huge grin.

"How could she notice that, but not me...?" Sasuke asked himself.

"That's simple, Sasuke," Mayu heard him and responded. She patted her chest twice with a closed fist, and then displayed her rock fist. "It's because I got mad skillz, yo!" The dark-haired shinobi rolled his eyes. “Don’t be jealous, bird brain. It’s unbecoming.”

“Shut up.”

"In that case, why did you let the genin do the fighting?" Tazuna blurted.

"I could have taken them out quickly, but then I would have learned nothing. I had to know who their target was," Kakashi said, giving Tazuna a sideward glance. "And what they were after..."

"What are you getting at?"

"This... I wanted to know if they were attacking us—ninja fighting ninja or if they were after you, the master bridge builder," Kakashi said. "When you put in your request you ask for standard protection from robbers and highway men. You didn't say ninja were hunting you down. If we knew this, it would have been a B-rank mission or higher. Our task was to simply get you to your destination and protect you were you finish the bridge. If we knew this, we would have changed it and charged it accordingly. You must have your reasons but lying to us is not acceptable. We are now beyond the scope of this mission."

"Shouldn’t you have considered that this mission might be too advanced for genin?” Mayu asked. “I mean, Naruto completely froze when we were attacked." The blond lowered his head, but his ashamed expression was visible. Mayu internally winced. She hadn’t meant to call him out on his lack of action. "We need to get that poison out of him fast before it spreads any further."

"Naruto's hand could become a problem... Oh well, I guess we have to return to the village," Kakashi said, sighing heavily.

Naruto suddenly took out a kunai and stabbed himself in his already wounded hand, making everyone gasp in shock. "GASP!" Mayu exclaimed. Sasuke looked at the girl strangely before turning his attention back to Naruto.

"Why am I so different? Why am I always so— _argh_!" he growled out.

"Naruto, please calm down!" Mayu insisted. "You really don't have to do that!"

"Yes, I do, Sakura-chan! I worked so hard to get here, pushing myself until it hurt!” Naruto cried. “Training alone for hours— _anything_ to get stronger and reach my dream.” Mayu smiled lightly. This was it, she realized. This was the beginning of his development. The start of her believing in him. Her future Hokage. "I will never back down again and let someone else rescue me. I will never run away, and I won't lose to Sasuke! Upon this wound, I make this pledge. Bridge builder, I'll complete this mission and protect you with this kunai knife. Real ninja never give up and neither will I! Don't you guys worry about me, I'll be fine! So, let's go!"

"… Naruto, it was really cool how you got the poison out and all but..." Mayu began.

"But if you lose any more blood... you're going to die!" Kakashi finished. Silence followed the statement. Naruto allowed the realization sink in. He suddenly turned blue in the face and he was sweating bullets.

" _Aaaaaaah_!" he let out a dramatic scream.

"Really good idea to stop the blood now!" Kakashi crooned.

"No! No! No! I'm too young for it to end like this! No! No! No!" Naruto shouted, going into panic mode.

"Show me your hand," Kakashi sighed out, not appearing too worried.

"No! No! No!" Naruto shouts continued. Mayu rolled her eyes, and then smirked. It would probably get better from here on out. And by better, she meant more dangerous. " _Um... um_... you have a serious look on your face! You’re scary me! Am I going to be okay?"

" _Uh_... yeah, you will be fine," Kakashi said, wrapping up Naruto's hand.

"So, are we continuing the mission, Kakashi-sensei?" Mayu questioned.

"Yes, we are!" he answered, standing at his full height.

"Alright…!" Mayu shot a fist into the air. She then turned to the quietest one on Team 7. "Isn't this great, Sasuke? Now I can show you some more of my _skills_!"

"Your mad skills...?" Sasuke visibly rolled his eyes. Mayu enthusiastically nodded her head, grinning. “Yeah, whatever.”

"Man, you _are_ a walking popsicle!" she stated, smacking his back rather harshly.

"Stop that!" Sasuke almost hissed.

0-0


	5. Dangerous Ninja

Mayu kept herself from groaning loudly and dramatically. She really wanted to. Not even the long drives to her father’s hometown had been this dreadful. At least then, she would be able to have a conversation with her mother or father. The boat ride to the island was slow and silent. The motor of the boat was cut off as well. It was absolutely insane, and it was driving Mayu up the friggin’ wall. "Fish don't fry in the kitchen! Beans don't burn on the grill!" she sang. It was a song her mother often sang in English. She had told her that it had been a television show she had used to watch in America with her mother. It was catchy. "Took a whole lot of trying... just to get up that hill. Now we're up in the big leagues... getting our turn at bat! As long as we live, it's you and me, baby. There ain't nothing wrong with that!"

"Sakura!" Kakashi hissed in a whisper. "You do realize we are trying to be quiet, right?” Mayu clicked her tongue. How could she _forget_? Instead of retorting, she only lowered her head and huffed sharply.

"We should be able to see the bridge soon," the person operating the boat said. "If we move along the side of the bridge, we'll be at the Wave country." Mayu lifted her gaze, focusing on the structure. It was bigger than she expected, and it wasn’t yet completed.

"Whoa! It's huge!" Naruto suddenly shouted.

“That’s what she said!” Mayu chuckled out. The two looked at each other, and then snickered in unison. “Yeah, I know—that was a good one.” Sasuke rolled his eyes.

" _Quiet_! I told you no noise!” the rower reprimanded. The two genin quickly stifled their laughs. Naruto even clamped a hand around his mouth. “Why do you think we're traveling like this, _huh_? Cutting off the engine and rowing, moving through the dense fog... so they don't see us!" The man seemed very paranoid, but he had a good reason.

"Tazuna-san...? Before we reach the shore, I must ask you something," Kakashi said in a calm voice. "The men that were after you, I need to know why.” Mayu might not have known details about this arc, but she had known that the real antagonist was a man that hired Haku. She couldn’t recall the reason the guy sent out assassins, but she remembered that everyone had been terrified of him. And so, the girl stopped paying attention, choosing instead to stare out at the water. Pretty soon, another tune entered her mind, and a grin stretched on her face.

 _“They got the bad guys on the run. They never stop until the gets done_. _Cuz when the world is losing all control~! Teen Titans!_ _One, two, three, four, GO! TEEN TITANS!”_

"SAKURA!" Mayu flinched, completely startled by the sudden shout. She placed a hand over her chest and looked towards the offender. It was Sasuke, the jerk. He looked quite angry. Everyone else was out of the boat, apparently waiting for her to do the same. How long had she been in her head? "Quit humming to yourself and get out of the boat!"

"Up yours, Sasuke!" Mayu grumbled, climbing out of the boat. "I already told you guys that you shouldn’t talk to me while I’m in a daze!" Once she got out of the boat, she looked around, examining the foreign surroundings. The fog seemed to have let up considerably.

"Okay, take me to my home, and I mean, get me there in one piece!" Tazuna said.

"Right," Kakashi said and then we all began to walk in a certain direction.

Mayu nodded her head in determination as she walked behind Naruto and Sasuke. She should keep her guard up. Those last two ninja were chuunin level. With the way things were going, more than likely a stronger force would be coming their way soon. It might even be Haku. Mayu pressed her lips together in an effort not to smile. She actually liked him, despite his weird logic of being only a tool. She would have to stop herself from asking for an autograph.

Suddenly, Naruto ran ahead and began looking around. Everyone else halted, staring at the genin in confusion. He took out a kunai and threw it, yelling something about 'Over there!' Of course, this caused the rest to tense. A couple of seconds went by, and then Naruto stood up straight. "It was just a mouse," he stated. Mayu slowly reached up, closing her eyes and fingers pressing hard against the metal plate of the headband.

"Naruto, those are kunai... they're _dangerous_!" Kakashi admonished.

"HEY, YOU DWARF! DON'T SCARE US!" the bridge builder yelled.

"I see someone hiding over there!" Naruto said, ignoring the adults. "No, is he over there? _There_!" He threw another kunai.

"Naruto, stop that!" Mayu shouted, becoming annoyed by his frantic behavior.

"But I really did sense someone," Naruto whined.

"A likely story!" Mayu crossed her arms. Kakashi went to go check out the bush that Naruto had thrown his kunai to. Curious, she went over as well, peering into the bush. There was only a shaken white bunny with the kunai lodged right over its head. The creature had actually fainted from shock. Mayu rounded on her teammate, pointing a finger. “Look what you did!” she yelled in anger. Naruto walked over, saw the bunny, and instantly looked remorseful. That lessened her anger somewhat.

"A rabbit!" he exclaimed, going over to the poor animal. Picking it up, he held it close to his face and nuzzled. "Oh, I'm sorry, little rabbit! I'm so sorry!"

“Can we cook it for dinner?” Sasuke asked, unaffected. Both of his teammates looked his way in horror. He merely shrugged. “We all eat meat,” he pointed out.

"All this fuss over a rodent..." the bridge builder remarked with a slight shake of his head.

"Look out!" Kakashi called. Everyone dived to the ground, following the instruction. There was a sharp change in wind, and a shiver crawled up Mayu’s back. She opened her eyes, removing her hands from her head. She slowly stood up, eyes immediately focusing on the new presence. There, standing on the hilt of a large cleaver-like weapon, which was lodged deep in a tree, was an intimidating man. Most of his face was covered by bandages, but his eyes stared down at them, malevolent, yet nonchalant. Mayu might not have remembered his name accurately, but she knew who they had encountered. A dangerous ninja, who wouldn’t think twice about killing anyone—even children, maybe. Mayu swallowed hard.

"Well, well… if it isn't Momochi Zabuza, the exiled ninja of the Hidden Mist Village," Kakashi pointed out, walking towards the tree. "You're in the way. Get back.” He successfully prevented Naruto from making a foolish mistake. The blond had been about to charge at the new ninja.

"But why...?" Naruto asked.

"He is not like those other ninja," Kakashi answered. "He's in a whole other league."

"I'm guessing you are Kakashi, the Sharingan user," Zabuza said. Mayu noticed that Sasuke looked at Kakashi in surprise. Of course, their sensei really hadn’t revealed any pertinent information about himself, especially that he wielded a Sharingan, though he was not a part of the Uchiha clan. Sasuke must have questions.

"I'm sorry, but you have to let me take the old geezer," Zabuza said.

"Everyone…!" Kakashi exclaimed. "Manji formation! Protect Tazuna-san and do not join the battle. I taught you teamwork, now it's time to use it!"

“ _Uh_ … You didn’t teach me! I knew it from the get go!”

“Quiet, Sakura!” The jounin then lifted his forehead protector, revealing his red eye. "I'm ready!" he said.

"Cool..." Mayu said in awe.

“It’s not that cool,” Sasuke muttered.

“Not everything’s about you, Sasuke.”

“He literally has my advanced bloodline… without having the bloodline!”

“Well, I guess you have a point…”

"I'm honored that I can see the Sharingan that I've heard about," Zabuza said, ignoring the conversation between the two genin.

"You guys have been saying Sharingan and bloodline, but what is it?" Naruto asked.

“What? You don’t know?” Mayu looked his way in surprise. “But your _rival_ has the ability to awaken the Sharingan! How do you _not_ know about it? Just how do you expect to best him one day without knowing?” Naruto pouted and crossed his arms. “Sasuke, please enlighten your rival.”

"He’s not my rival,” Sasuke muttered. Naruto huffed loudly, offended. Still, frowning, the Uchiha went on to explain the ability of his clan. “Sharingan... The eye creates it, and it is the power that the pupil generates. The user of this visual jutsu, or _doujutsu_ , can instantly see and comprehend any genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu, and counter their effects. Sharingan is one of the types of eyes that doujutsu users possess. But that's not the only ability the Sharingan possesses."

"You got it right, boy," Zabuza said. "But you only scratched the surface. The Sharingan can analyze the opponents’ technique and then copy it to the smallest detail." The air around them suddenly became foggy. Mayu squinted, just barely able to make out shapes. "When I was in Mist’s assassination squad... your information was listed in the bingo book I carried, asking for your capture. It also noted this... The man who copied more than 1000 techniques: Kakashi, the copy ninja.”

"WOW!" Naruto said, impressed.

“ _Tch_ …!” Sasuke didn’t seem all that impressed.

“It’s probably only about 983,” Mayu remarked, shrugging. “But 1000 sounds much cooler.”

“Quiet, Sakura!” Kakashi ordered.

"Let's cut the chit-chat here," Zabuza said, gaining the attention again. "I have to kill that geezer right away." That was the cue to jump in front of the bridge builder. Naruto on one side. Mayu on the other. Sasuke in front. The genin held kunai in their hand. "But, Kakashi, it seems I have to defeat you first." Zabuza suddenly disappeared, giant weapon and all. He appeared again, standing on top of the water, a pond, maybe. It was still so hard to see through the fog.

"He's there!" Naruto said.

"And those things on his arms are hideous!" Mayu whispered mostly to herself, but Sasuke somehow managed to hear.

"Sakura...! This is no time for that!" he hissed.

"What? They _are_!" Mayu retorted softly. "And they don't match either. Spots and strips? Where are the fashion police when you need them?!" All of a sudden, Zabuza disappeared from sight. “ _Uh-oh_ …”

"He disappeared!" Naruto stated the obvious.

"He'll try to eliminate me first, but..." Kakashi said, walking in front of his team like a shield.

"But...?" Mayu prompted.

"Momochi Zabuza—he was in the Hidden Mist’s ANBU, and was known for his _silent killing_ techniques," Kakashi explained. Naruto let out a bit of a whimper. "As the name suggests, it happens in an instant without sound or warning of any kind. It's so fast that you pass from this life without realizing what's happened. The Sharingan cannot fully neutralize it, so don't lower your guard. Well, if we fail, we only lose our lives.”

“ _Encouraging_ , sensei—thank you,” Mayu said sarcastically.

“I’m here all week,” he replied.

“Not if we _die_!”

"The mist is getting thicker and thicker!" Naruto stated.

"The land of waves is surrounded by ocean. The swirling mist is ever present," bridge builder told them.

"Oh-no! It's so bad that I can't see Kakashi-sensei anymore!" Mayu exclaimed.

"What?!" Sasuke said.

"… Oh-no! It's so bad that I can't see Kakashi-sensei anymore!" Mayu repeated in the same tone, with a hint of confusion.

"I heard you the first time!" Sasuke said.

"Then _why’d_ you ask?!"

"Quiet, you two!" the bridge builder said.

"Eight points," Zabuza's deep voice filled echoed throughout the area. "The larynx, spine, lungs, liver, jugular, vein, collarbone, kidney, and heart," he continued. "Now, which vital organ do you want to be struck at?"

" _Uh_... I don't suppose _none_ of them is an answer?" Mayu questioned, nervously.

"NO!"

"S-S-Sorry I asked!" she stuttered. Suddenly, she could feel a strong wind picking up and blowing away the fog. Then she saw Kakashi again. She sighed out, relieved. However, Mayu then realized that Sasuke had grabbed his kunai with both hands. The sharp tip was aimed towards his own stomach. She nearly gasped. "Sasuke! What the hell are you doing?" she shouted, alarmed before smacking him upside the head. "Are you that insane?"

"Sasuke! Don't worry,” Kakashi called back before the Uchiha could retaliate for the strike. His glare indicated that he probably would have. “I'll protect the three of you with my life. I won't let anyone on my team die."

"See? We have nothing to worry about! So, don't go suicidal on us!" Mayu demanded.

"I wouldn’t be so sure," Zabuza said. He sounded close, right behind them. "It's over!"

Mayu jumped out of the way as Kakashi move towards them. Kakashi had stabbed a kunai knife into Zabuza. But it wasn't blood pouring from him... it was water. A clone—a water clone. Another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi. "Sensei! Behind you!" Naruto shouted, but it was too late. Before Kakashi even fully turned around, Zabuza cut him in half.

**_Ahhh_ ** **! My heart! My beating heart has stopped!**

However, before Mayu could outwardly freak out, Kakashi's body turned into water. She breathed out in an overly exaggerated manner. Her sensei was still alive and kicking. Zabuza looked surprised when he realized that it was just a version of the clone jutsu. Kakashi held a kunai at Zabuza's throat. "Don't move," he said. "This is the end!"

"WOW!" Naruto shouted, enthused.

Zabuza only began laughing, seemingly not disturbed in the least. His laughter only increased in volume as the seconds went by. Mayu narrowed her eyes and frowned. She realized that it was too soon for celebrating. The dangerous man wouldn’t just lie down. She understood that. But did he have to be so obnoxious about it?

" _Is_ this the end?" Zabuza asked in a mocking voice. "You really don't get it do you? Your technique is nothing but an imitation... I'll never be defeated by a copycat ninja like you." He chuckled as if it had been some sort of inside joke. "But you're pretty good. I see you copied my water clone technique when you said, 'I won't let anyone on my team die.' By making your clone speak as if it was the real one, you diverted my attention to the clone... while the real one used the _Hidden Mist_ jutsu to hide and observe my movements. However..." Suddenly, another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi. "I'm not that easy to fool." The Zabuza in front of Kakashi turned into water.

"That one's a fake, too!" Naruto shouted as Zabuza swung his giant weapon at Kakashi. Luckily, he ducked. But Zabuza wasn't through yet. He planted his weapon in the ground and delivered a hard kick to Kakashi making him fly back. Zabuza took his giant weapon out of the ground and began running towards where he kicked his opponent, but he suddenly stopped short.

" _Makibishi_ Spikes?" he murmured before jumping up and disappearing. Kakashi, safe for the moment, fell into the water. “How idiotic.”

"Sensei!" Naruto shouted.

"His hand-to-hand combat skill is superb, too," Sasuke said.

“Not that superb…” Mayu muttered. Kakashi finally surfaced. His hair was all wet and in his face. The girl bit her lip. Had her sensei always been that hot? He looked real- Mayu quickly shook her head back and forward, scolding herself. Too young for that. Much too young to be attracted to a grown man. Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi, though. Already performing hand seals.

" **Water Prison Jutsu**!" he exclaimed. Mayu watched in slight fascination as Kakashi became entrapped in a giant orb made of water. Zabuza had one hand inside the water prison. "You fell for it," he laughed. "This is a special prison that you can't escape from. You give me a hard time when you're moving." Then his eyes shifted to those on land. "I'll take care of you later," he said. “But first, I think I’ll get rid of your little brats.”

“Oh, man! This is not good!” Mayu muttered.

" **Water Clone Jutsu**!" Zabuza said. The water formed into a copy of him. The clone began laughing. "The three of you have forehead protectors on as if you think you're ninja. But ninja refers to someone who has gone through numerous life and death situations. In other words, you can call yourself a ninja when you appear in my bingo book." Mayu clenched her teeth, offended. She shouldn’t be, but she was. All ninja started with little experience. No one was born a ninja. Besides, she had sang the _Ninja of the Night_ song and everything. According to this world, she was a ninja.

"You three aren't ninja," the clone said as though he had heard the inner thoughts of the girl. He held his hand up to his chest, forming another seal. Again, the surrounding area was cloaked in fog. It became so bad that Mayu couldn't see the enemy anymore. However, without warning, she saw Naruto flying backwards. Had he attempted to attack? His headband flew off, and the clone rudely stepped on it.

"Naruto!" Mayu shouted, panic seizing her.

"You're just a bunch of kids," Zabuza finished.

"Listen! Get the bridge builder and run!" Kakashi called to them. "You can't win this fight! He's using all of his power to keep me in this prison, so he can only fight you with his water clone and the clone cannot go far from the real body. So _run_!"

That wasn’t right. Kakashi was wrong. If they ran, Zabuza wouldn’t be distracted anymore. He would turn his entire focus on Kakashi. Kill him quickly. Then he would go after them. Three genin and a civilian who had no idea how to defend against someone like Momochi Zabuza. Mayu had confidence in her skills, but she knew when she was outmatched. And against a ninja such as that, in an unknown environment where he had the advantage, she couldn’t see how they would survive if they abandoned the only person around that could combat the enemy.

"We have to do it!" Sasuke suddenly said. Apparently, he had a similar line of thinking. He ran at Zabuza’s clone. He threw shuriken at him. However, Zabuza just deflected them aside with his weapon. Sasuke wasn't through yet. He jumped in the air, and then descended fast, kunai in hand. The man nonchalantly looked up. Without effort, his hand gripped the Uchiha’s throat. He then threw Sasuke as if he had weighed nothing.

“Sasuke…!” Mayu shouted, more than just a bit alarmed. For several seconds, she had felt compelled to run towards him. The rapid beating of her heart in her ears kept her in place, though. She could barely hear Naruto shout his disbelief. She noticed the clone appearing in front of blond teammate. “Naruto! Get away from him!” Naruto seemed as though he was going to, but in mid crawl, he stopped. With his hand pressed against the ground, he scowled down as if his own body betrayed him.

After a heartbeat of a second, Naruto stood up slowly and faced Zabuza. Battle cry exploding from his mouth, the blond charged at Zabuza. Surprised, Mayu could only gape as Kakashi shouted his protests. Like before, Naruto was kicked back as soon as he reached his target. Mayu took a step forward, but then she noticed something. Naruto had his headband clutched in his hand. Oh. He hadn’t attacked. His aim had been for his forehead protector.

“C-Cool…” Mayu whispered, watching Naruto struggle to stand.

"Hey… you—the freak with no eyebrows..." he began. Mayu pressed her lips together, immediately thinking of a certain red head. No eyebrows wasn’t an insult. "Put this in your bingo book... the ninja who will become Hokage one day..." Naruto stood up straight and put on his headband. "He never backs down and his name is... Uzumaki Naruto!" Mayu kept herself from squealing. This was him. She had grown fond of this Naruto. This was the ninja capable of inspiring generations. "Sasuke, lend me your ear for a sec!"

"What do you want?" he questioned.

"I have a plan!"

"I can't believe you want to work as a team," Sasuke said.

"Even you must see the benefits, bird brain!" Mayu said, causing the Uchiha to scowl.

"Alright guys... let's go wild!" Naruto shouted.

"Naruto, what can I do?" Mayu asked quietly.

"You stay and protect the bridge builder!" Naruto said.

She pressed her lips together. She understood, of course, but… Mayu sighed lightly before walking in front of Tazuna. She slid a kunai from out of her weapon’s pouch so that now she held two. Someone needed to protect the client. She was a last line of defense. She should be satisfied with that. Honestly, she should be happy that her teammates barely needed to speak to go through with a plan of attack.

"Okay, ready... Let's take this guy down!" Naruto said, wiping off the blood running down his chin.

"Big words for such a little man!" the clone laughed. "You think you have a chance at victory?"

"What are you all doing?!” Kakashi yelled. "I told you to run away! The outcome of this battle was decided when I got caught! Our mission was to protect the bridge builder. Did you forget that?"

"Old man..." Naruto said, turning towards Tazuna.

"Don't worry… I caused all of this in the first place," he said. "I won't say that I want to survive no matter what. Sorry, everyone. Fight as much as you want."

"That's how it is," Sasuke said.

"Are you ready?" Naruto asked.

"Go wild!" Mayu cheered, wanting to have some input. Zabuza began laughing again, louder than before. The girl groaned in annoyance and rolled her eyes. "You know, I'm really starting to get sick of that laugh!"

"You sure don't learn, do you?" Zabuza asked. "Still pretending to be ninja?"

" _Uh-oh_... long speech!" Mayu mocked. “Bad guys just love the sound of their own voices.”

"When I was your age, my hands were already soaked in blood," Zabuza continued, apparently choosing to ignore the biting comment.

“ _Who_ gives a shit?!” Mayu shouted. All eyes turned to her. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! But at this point, I _don’t_ care! You’re our enemy! Do you really think we want to hear your backstory? NO! _I_ don’t! Can we please just get on with the _attacking_?!” After her little rant, all were silent. She snorted a bit. Had it really been that shocking? Then again, the series was known for its drawn-out battles. Like _Dragon Ball Z_. Love that show.

“Sakura… you moron,” Sasuke muttered. Before Mayu could give the universal sign for piss off, Zabuza attacked. Yikes. Somehow, that had probably been her fault. The man elbowed her teammate, sending him flying. He quickly reappeared near the airborne Uchiha, only to elbow him in the gut. Blood and spit shot out of Sasuke’s mouth. The genin slammed against the ground, and Zabuza without mercy grinded his foot against Sasuke’s chest.

"Die!" Zabuza shouted.

"Damn!" Naruto yelled, putting up a hand sign. " **Shadow Clone Jutsu**!"

So many clones of Naruto appeared, surrounding the clone of Zabuza. He grabbed the hilt of his weapon and looked at all the clones. Clones wielded kunai in their hands. Sasuke had a chance to get away now that Zabuza's attention was diverted, and he took it as the Naruto clones jumped on Zabuza, completely covering his body. It was only a moment of relief because the clones were sent flying. "His skills are too advanced! There's no way they could win!" Tazuna exclaimed from behind Mayu. Ignoring him, she watched as one by one, the clones started disappearing in clouds of smoke.

She was really looking for the real Naruto. Her eyes spotted him digging into his backpack. He threw something at Sasuke, which he caught. He turned around once and revealed the... "Demon Wind Shuriken!" Sasuke said. "Windmill of Shadows!" Mayu snorted. Stupid name, she muttered. Luckily, her teammate hadn’t heard. He jumped up and threw the giant shuriken. But the shuriken went right past the fake and headed straight for the real one. Zabuza caught it, though... Guess he didn't see the second one coming his way.

" _HA_! Can't catch that, cheater!" Zabuza merely jumped up at the last second, deflating Mayu’s enthusiasm considerably. "Then again... he could always dodge it..."

Behind him, the giant shuriken suddenly transformed into Naruto. He held a kunai in his hand. "This is the spot!" he shouted, throwing the kunai. It headed straight for Zabuza. The enemy hastily shifted away in order to dodge the projectile. In his haste, he released his hold on the water sphere that held Kakashi prisoner. Not aware, Zabuza turned his murderous sights on Naruto. He went at the blond, intending on using the large shuriken he had caught earlier. "I'll destroy you!" he growled in anger.

Kakashi, though, stopped the spinning of the shuriken with his fist. Blood trailed down his fingers as the blond fell into the water. "Naruto, your plan was impressive," Kakashi complimented. "You all have grown so much." Naruto laughed and had a goofy grin on his face. He then explained his plan from start to finish, obviously very proud of himself.

"It was just luck," Sasuke remarked.

"It was _luck_?!" Tazuna exclaimed.

"Luck, my foot!" Mayu said. "Your teamwork was flawless! I'm very proud of you guys." Sasuke smirked and Naruto still had that goofy grin. Though, privately, she thought she hadn’t been much help with the plan. She hadn’t been needed. Her eyes lowered to the ground. Was it strange for her to feel that way?

"I just got distracted and released the jutsu," Zabuza scoffed.

"No... You were _forced_ to release it,” Kakashi corrected him. “I'd like to tell you that... I don't fall for the same jutsu twice. So, what are you going to do now?"

"Sakura! Don't let your guard down!" Sasuke said.

Mayu flinched before snapping out of her thoughts. She composed herself before nodding. Then she stood in front of the bridge builder. Sasuke did the same. Focusing again, she watched Kakashi fling the giant shuriken away from Zabuza. The enemy leapt back. Kakashi also jumped backwards in the opposite direction. Zabuza did a huge range of seals and Kakashi merely copied simultaneously. The two powerful ninja went head to head. They both seemed on the same level, though. It was a battle that Mayu had seen maybe three times before. It hadn’t been a favorite. But living through it. Feeling the bursts of chakra. Watching it up close and personal like this was a completely different story. It was riveting. The two men were just so strong. It made Mayu feel excited, yet… overwhelmed. There truly were stronger people in this world. People she couldn’t hope to catch up to.

Still, what mattered now was this battle, and making sure the bridge builder remained safe. Her worry was for naught, though. In the end, Kakashi had outmaneuvered Zabuza. The enemy had been pinned to a tree, drained of energy. He had lost. "Can you... see into... the f-future?" Zabuza asked. Mayu’s eyebrows rose incredulously. Really? Blaming fate? Who did this guy think he was? Neji?

"Yes,” Kakashi replied, rather mockingly. Mayu rolled her eyes. “This is your last battle _ever_."

However, before the winner could end it, two acupuncture needles came out of nowhere and struck Zabuza in the neck. His eyes went wide, and then his body shook all over. He crumbled to the ground. "You're right. This was his last battle..." A voice caused all heads to turn. Mayu slowly breathed in as her focus settled on the newcomer. The signature mask, which belonged to Haku, looked down at them. Kakashi jumped down from the tree to land beside Zabuza. He checked for a pulse. He then looked towards the masked shinobi. In response, a bow was given. "Thank you very much. I was looking for a chance to kill Zabuza," he said. Naruto had just come out of the water and was now looking at the boy in the tree.

"That mask... If I remember correctly, you must be a hunter-nin from Mist village," Kakashi stated.

"You are very well informed," he replied.

"A hunter-nin?"

"Naruto, don’t you even know _that_? How are you supposed to become Hokage like this?!" Mayu glanced at the blond before returning her eyes to the older boy. "Hunter-nin are those who assassinate exiled ninja like Zabuza. Exiled ninja go against the village they were born in… They could be more a danger because the secrets they may possess. Hunter-nin are a special type of ninja who are trained to seek out and destroy. Killing them, ninja who have turned their backs on loyalty, conceals any secret that could potentially wipe out an entire village."

"Yes, I am a member of the pursuing ninja unit that hunt exiled ninja," Haku said. Naruto ran up to the tree Haku stood in and glared.

"Who the hell are you?!" Naruto yelled.

“He literally just said,” Mayu stated.

"Calm down, Naruto. He's not an enemy," Kakashi said.

"That's not what I'm asking! But... Zabuza was killed!" Naruto said. "He... he was so strong, but he was killed so easily by a kid that's not that different from me! We... We look like idiots!" He seriously looked ashamed of himself. "I... I can't accept this!" Mayu swallowed hard, feeling the same.

"Well, I know how you feel... but this is also the truth. In our world, there are kids younger than you, but stronger than me," Kakashi informed Naruto, ruffling his hair. Haku disappeared from the tree and reappeared by Zabuza's body. He picked him up, lifting his gaze towards them, though they couldn’t see it.

"Your battle is over. Now, I must dispose of this corpse because it seems to be a body of many secrets. Now it you'll excuse me..." The young boy disappeared in a swirling wind. Naruto crumpled down to the ground, punching it continuously and ranting his frustrations. Mayu clenched her jaw. His words had become muffled, but she felt the meaning all the same. It wasn’t a good feeling to have. Kakashi grabbed his hand. Naruto pouted and got up, still unsatisfied.

"Things like this happen in the life of a ninja," Kakashi attempted to reassure. "If you don't like it, make it up next time. Our mission hasn't ended yet," he continued, turning to the rest of the group. "We need to take the bridge builder to his house."

"Sorry about that, everyone!" Tazuna said, laughing a little. "Just rest at my house!"

"All right, let's cheer up and go!" Kakashi walked away. But it only took a few steps for him to collapse.

"Kakashi-sensei...?" Naruto exclaimed as everyone walked over to the fallen copycat ninja. "KAKASHI-SEN-!" Mayu whacked him over the head. " _Ow_! Sakura-chan, what was that for?"

"You don't _have_ to yell! He’s clearly already unconscious! Let’s actually do something to help him by getting him somewhere safe first, _huh_?!” Mayu told him, weirdly irritated. Naruto feebly nodded his head before moving to lift their sensei. The girl sharply turned her eyes to Sasuke. She felt a bit smug that the Uchiha flinched. Without a word, he hurried over to help. Sighing to herself, she, too, lowered herself to lift Kakashi. He had won a battle for them. The least they could do was set the stage for his recovery.

0-0


	6. Forest of Understanding

Mayu walked into the room where Kakashi currently rested. Naruto and Sasuke followed close behind. Their sensei had been bedridden ever since they had come to this place. The bridge builder, Tazuna, had told the team that they could stay for as long as needed. The man’s daughter, Tsunami, had attempted to patch up the jounin as much as any civilian could. However, it would take days for the man to be back in shape. Looking at him now, Mayu realized how vulnerable the likes of even Hatake Kakashi could become. She sat down on her knees beside the man. Her teammates did the same. “Should we tickle him?”

“No…!” Kakashi protested feebly. Mayu grinned. Her question had woken him up well enough, it seemed. The man continued lying there, though, obviously not trying to move around too much. “No tickling!”

"Kakashi-sensei's awake!" Naruto stated the obvious yet again. Mayu glanced at him, losing her grin. The blond had done it so many times before. He wasn’t even trying to be funny, so it was a bit annoying. Somehow, she had to break him out of that cycle.

"I'm sorry..." Kakashi said.

"But you defeated such a strong ninja," Tazuna stated, coming into the room. "We should be okay for a while."

Then Kakashi explained, in painful detail, what hunter-nin did, and how they went about their jobs, and _blah, blah, blachy blah_! Mayu nearly fell asleep, listening to him. Man, does he love to hear himself talk. "What's wrong, sensei?" Naruto asked. The question snapped Mayu back to attention. Truthfully, she had just been about to start humming. She hadn’t been paying attention for about five minutes now. Mayu’s eyes darted all around, trying to find the wrongness of the situation. However, she hadn’t found anything. In the five minutes, Kakashi had chosen to sit up. Despite the mask, he appeared quite pensive.

"Oh, about what I was talking about before...” Kakashi murmured. “Hunter-nin are supposed to eliminate the corpse on the spot. And that certain ninja did not do that. All he needed to do was bring back the head as proof. Also, the weapon that the boy used to kill Zabuza is questionable."

"It was just a long needle," Sasuke said. "Could it be that...?"

"Yeah, it's just what you're thinking," Kakashi said.

"What are you guys talking about?" Tazuna asked.

"Zabuza is alive," Kakashi stated.

"What?!" Tazuna and Naruto yelled in unison.

" _Eh_?" Tsunami had entered the room, having heard the last bit. She had spoken in a calmer tone, but she seemed just as concerned as her father. “Are you certain?”

"What does that mean?" Naruto asked, frantically. "You confirmed that he died yourself!"

"I did confirm it. But he was most likely in a near-death state," Kakashi said. "The weapon that the hunter-nin used has a low fatality rate unless it hits a critical spot. It's mostly used in acupuncture healings and such. Hunter-nin know the structure of a human body very well. It should be easy for them to put a person into a near-death state. First, he took home the corpse of Zabuza even when it's obvious that the body was heavier than him. Second, he used a weapon that has a low fatality rate. From these two points, the goal of that boy was not to kill Zabuza, but to help him."

"Maybe you're just thinking too much," Tazuna said.

"No, once a ninja feels that's there's something wrong, he or she must prepare for it before it's too late," Mayu said. Kakashi turned his visible eye to her. Internally, she smirked smugly. She had managed to say it before her sensei. She hadn’t watched this arc many times, but she had known that little snippet. It was a phrase similar to her mother’s words. _If you stay ready, you don’t have a get ready_. Huh. Maybe not, but she had always remembered Kakashi’s advice because of her mother.

"That's exactly right, Sakura," Kakashi said. "It's one of the ninja's iron rules."

"But how do you suggest we prepare, Kakashi-sensei?” Mayu questioned.

"I'm going to make you all go through some training," Kakashi answered.

"Training…? That’s it?” Mayu frowned. “How will a bit of training help when Zabuza comes back? _With_ help?”

"Sakura, who saved me when I had a difficult time?" Kakashi asked. Instantly, her mood darkened. She lowered her gaze to the floor, glaring hard. Bitterly, she replied that it had been her teammates. Naruto and Sasuke had done all the work. “It was you, too, Sakura. You three are growing at a rapid rate.” He looked towards Naruto. “Especially you,” he complimented. Because his attention was diverted, he did not see how tense Mayu had become. She abruptly stood up, hands clenched into fists at her sides. “Sakura…?” Hearing that name just made it worse. Mayu squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her jaw so hard that it hurt.

“Naruto… was always strong. The Academy, and its ridiculous grading system, can no longer hold him back. The oath he made only brought out his determination,” she said, opening her eyes and staring at the jounin. “Sasuke… a fricking genius of our generation. Trained to be elite from the very start. Expected to be the best by all because of his bloodline. What am _I_ in comparison to them? What am I even _doing_ here?” Mayu sharply turned, intended on leaving the room.

“Sakura! You followed the mission! You did your job effectively!” Kakashi called out, halting her footsteps. Mayu squeezed her eye shut again. His words had rung true. The mission was to protect the client. And she had done that. Standing completely still, she had done as tasked.

“That’s…” Mayu whispered. She tilted her back, stretched her neck. “That’s just not _good enough_ for me, sensei.” She lowered her head again before opening her eyes and continuing her way out. “I need some air.” On her way, she passed by a boy. He was a small boy wearing a blue and white fisherman’s hat. He looked a bit familiar, but Mayu found herself not caring enough to halt her walk outside.

0-0

With her back against a tree, Mayu had a perfect view of the large body of water. It was beautiful. Serene. But right now, she couldn’t appreciate the beauty of it. Her line of sight lowered to the grass below her, deep in her own thoughts. Sighing lightly, she slid a hand into her leg holster. She pulled out a single kunai. Staring down at her reflection, she narrowed her eyes. Green eyes glared back at her. Haruno Sakura. Right now, she was in the body of another girl. Out of place and far from home. For the first time since she had woken up in this world of ninja, Mayu felt something akin to shame. This wasn’t… fun anymore. So many strong people. And she couldn’t touch them. She couldn’t be considered in a plan to take down a strong enemy. She was Haruno Sakura. And she hated it. She had never had a pressure quite like this before. She couldn’t exactly explain it either.

Mayu touched a fingertip to the pointy end of the kunai. It pricked her skin. Blood swelled from her fingertip enough to be an eyesore against ivory skin, but not enough to slide down her index finger. “I wish I could make an oath of pain, too,” she muttered, frowning. It was too bad that she didn’t enjoy pain. Well, she didn’t enjoy receiving it. Another heavy sigh left her. She then placed her bleeding finger in her mouth.

"What are you doing?" a voice asked. Slowly, her eyes looked to see Sasuke walking towards her. She blinked once, honestly confused as to why this person had been the one to seek her out. Then she sighed, uncaring, before focusing on her finger. She removed it from her mouth. Another bead of blood had formed. Huffing lightly, Mayu placed the finger back into her mouth. However, before she could really do anything, her wrist was grabbed and yanked away.

“You _motherfu_ -!”

“Let me see,” Sasuke demanded, ignoring the cry of pain. Obviously, he hadn’t cared that his teammate had bitten herself. Mayu almost succeeded in growling at him, but that, too, was ignored. Sasuke knelt beside her, fingers still wrapped around her wrist. With his free hand, he dug around in his back pouch. Eventually, he pulled out bandages. Mayu could feel her brow squeeze together as the Uchiha carefully wrapped up her entire index finger. “There,” he said. “Now come on so we can train. Kakashi said all of us has to be there for it.” Mayu dumbly stared at her wrapped finger for a few seconds before coming back to reality. He had only done it for his own benefit, it seemed. Mayu sighed.

“Hold on,” she murmured. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

"No, our training begins now! _Not_ in one minute!" Sasuke said, grabbing Mayu’s arm and hauling her up. More than just annoyed, she used the momentum to get close to his face. The kunai she had been holding pressed against his neck. Dangerously close. However, Mayu did not care right now. Sasuke stared into her eyes, clearly surprised. Mayu did not care for that either. He was getting on her nerves with his ‘I’m super superior’ attitude towards everyone else.

"Who do you think you are to order me around?!” she demanded to know. “You think you’re so great! We’re not in the Academy anymore, bird brain! We’re not ranked, and I sure as hell don’t have to listen to a pretentious jerk like you!” Sasuke narrowed his eyes and frowned. “I said I’ll be there, so just let me calm down on my own. Got it?”

Instead of answering, the Uchiha smirked. It was all the warning she received. In the next instant, Sasuke maneuvered her body, arms bound behind her and chest pressed hard against the bark of the tree. Mayu clenched her teeth, grimacing at the sudden strain on her body. Her eyes squeezed shut as Sasuke’s grip on her increased just a bit. Why wasn’t she stronger? “Drop it…!” Sasuke told her. Swallowing hard, Mayu did as told. “Sakura. I admit, you do have some surprises about you,” he continued, smugness sneaking into his normally bored tone of voice. “But don’t forget, even out of the Academy, I’m the strongest on our team. Do you understand?” Finally, he released his hold on her.

“No…” Mayu replied. Her throat felt like it constricted. A sour taste formed in her mouth. She may not have been the best in her Martial Arts class, but she was _one of them_. In fact, her teachers often praised her. Many said she would achieve the rank of black belt before high school. Her friends had always said she could become a professional in the world of MMA. Why exactly was she so weak here? If anything, she should be stronger. She should be better than this. She should be! “I don’t _understand_!” The girl fell to her knees, opening her eyes only to see that her surroundings had become blurry. Obviously, strong people surrounded her. However, at his current level, shouldn’t she be able to wipe the floor with _him_? Hand-to-hand combat was her specialty. This earlier on, Sasuke shouldn’t be able to overpower her like he had.

“Sakura…?” Mayu turned his way, attempting to muster up a glare, but her face betrayed her. Instead, she felt her lower lip tremble. Sasuke’s mouth dropped opened. “What’s wrong with you?!” He sounded very uncomfortable. “Why are you _crying_?”

“Shut up! I’m not crying!” Mayu hastily rubbed at her eyes. She stood up, and then completely faced him, forcing a grin and hiding her eyes with the back of her hand. “You’re so stupid! A genius like you can’t understand what it’s like...”

“Sakura…”

“I may not be able to take you now, but I will!” Mayu interrupted, sharply removing her hand from her face. Hopefully, the tears were gone. “For as long as I’m here, I’ll get stronger! If I can’t beat you, how am I… supposed to kill that person if or when the time comes?” Her eyesight settled on the ground. She had strong feelings about the snake known as Orochimaru. Maybe she had said it on a whim. Maybe not. But the longer she remained in this world, the closer he would get. However, as she was, there was no way she could stand against that Sanin. Honestly, it had been a passionate declaration for a character she despised. She wouldn’t be the one to kill him no matter how long she survived in this place. She was only a girl from another world, mistakenly put in this body.

"Why do you… want to kill someone?" Sasuke finally spoke up, voice soft and a bit hesitant. Mayu believed she had never heard him speak with such a tone. Ah. Maybe he had thought the two of them shared something in common. To his knowledge, she might have been the only one to have dark thoughts swimming around in her head. Mayu narrowed her eyes. It wasn’t true. Not completely. She could never imagine how Sasuke could feel in this aspect. The man he wanted dead was his brother. There probably wasn’t anyone in the world that shared that line of thought. Not seriously.

“Forget it,” Mayu told him with a shake of her head. She attempted to walk pass him. However, the Uchiha grabbed her forearm, stopping her mid-step. Around them, the wind blew, carelessly tossing about their bangs. For more than a few seconds, they stood like that, unspeaking. Then the wind died down, and Sasuke finally shifted his eyes to her.

“Before… You said that… you have a goal to kill a man,” he stated. “For vengeance…?” The question echoed in Mayu’s mind. In a way, yes. Vengeance had been her reason. Orochimaru’s nefarious plans had caused harm to too many people. He had caused unnecessary strife, breaking bonds and severing ties. All for the sake of his own goal. He was a monster. The people that he had harmed… or would harm… were the reason she had such hatred for his character.

"Yes," Mayu replied. It might have been childish or strange to feel so strongly, but there it was. “Vengeance is what I seek. Justice for those who cannot get it themselves. Is it the same for you?”

"Yeah," Sasuke answered. Mayu bit her lower lip, contemplating. Her teammate didn’t seem like he would elaborate further.

"You... wanna talk about it?" she asked, unsure. Instead of answering, Sasuke sat down, which caused her to sit as well. He hadn’t let go of her arm yet. “Sasuke…?" After a moment of silence, he started talking.

"I’m going after the man that caused me to be the last of my kind," Sasuke stated. “What right does he have to walk around after killing an entire clan? The ghosts of my family haunt me and will continue to haunt until their murderer joins them by my hand. I _have_ to kill him. For their sakes… and mine.” Mayu nodded. She didn’t think the Uchiha had ever put it into words how intensely he needed to kill one man. Not this early, anyway. "What about you?"

"Oh... _um_... This person—he killed someone important to me,” Mayu began. She swallowed hard before continuing. "And he... took away someone that I admired. He made me _hate_ this person who I admired because he gave into the dark side. He betrayed his friends, his village. He turned his back on loyalty and the bonds he had formed. He had been so easily tempted by power. Manipulated by it. I guess… I was hurt and disappointed by his decision. And it’s all that bastard’s fault! Surely, he wouldn’t have left if that man wasn’t-!" Mayu shut her eyes, forcing herself not to rant further. Honestly, she had been talking about Sasuke _to_ Sasuke. It was majorly weird.

"Sakura... I never knew that about you," Sasuke said, drawing Mayu from her thoughts. She opened her eyes and released a sigh. Doubtful that he would even think to ask one of the girls that fawned over him a personal question. He must have assumed she had only been like rest. Why would he go out of his way to ask her anything? But this different way of behaving, Sasuke must have felt a bit intrigued by the change. "It's almost like you're like me. But..." He finally released his teammate’s arm.

"Yeah...?" Mayu prompted.

"How can you be so… _carefree_ all the time," Sasuke asked. “With something like that constantly at your mind… How can you even think of being happy when the person you want to kill is out there somewhere?”

"Because this person has already put me on a certain path,” Mayu said. “I am _not_ going to allow him to dictate _how_ I go down this path. This person will not manipulate my life further. Revenge, anger, sadness—those are negative emotions that could consume me completely, leaving me blind to everything else.” Sasuke said nothing, only continued to stare back at her, pensive expression etched on his face. "I cannot allow myself to be destroyed from the inside just because I seek vengeance. Yes, revenge could be necessary. However, if you let it control every aspect of your life, then you’re not living in the first place. It will _hold_ you back, and you will remain at the _same_ level. I _cannot_ remain at the same level. So yes, I will face the darkness, but I will not let it consume me."

"I guess... you're right," Sasuke muttered. “I never thought of it like that.”

"…Of course I am!” Mayu forced a grin to lighten the mood. “I'm _always_ right!" She wasn’t the type to wallow in self-pity, after all. Mayu mentally punched herself. She had been doing just that before Sasuke had come along to fetch her. She released a heavy sigh before a real smile formed. "Why do you think I have a giant forehead?” she questioned, standing up. “It's because I have a giant brain! You know, vast knowledge and whatnot!"

"Yeah, you do have a big head," Sasuke agreed, also standing.

“Are you trying to _roast_ me, bird boy?” Mayu nearly screeched.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Mayu scowled as she turned away. "What a serious bird brain you are!" Secretly, she began grinning again. Talking with the Uchiha had help. She wasn’t helpless. Sasuke grew to be stronger. Naruto grew to be stronger. She just had to grow, too. No one was born strong, after all. Accept Broly. But he was insane. She would have to work hard so that she would never feel that way again. In this world or hers. The girl began to walk away, determined to meet with Kakashi for the training. However, she didn’t get very far because Sasuke grabbed the long braid and yanked.

"Sakura-" The offender began, but she sharply turned and glared at him.

"What the _hell_ was that for?!" Mayu yelled. She snatched the braid back, and then tried to soothe her scalp. That had been painful. It felt like Sasuke hadn’t held back at all. "Stupid bird brain! I’m gonna-"

"I like your hair this way," Sasuke commented, ignoring what would have devolved into mindless insults and threats. Mayu froze, staring at the Uchiha in disbelief. "This style makes it look more natural."

" _Uh_... yeah,” Mayu said, uneasily. “I thought it would help me blend in more when I'm on missions." Sasuke nodded in approval. Like she had needed it. Still, she pursed her lips, wondering why he had felt a sudden urge to tell her of her good decision to dye her hair.

The sudden compliment had been weird and had sent her skin crawling. If she recalled right, Sasuke never gave compliments, especially concerning appearances. He was acting strange. Oh. Wait. Her mother had mentioned this. Years ago, when she had come to Tokyo for a student transfer program, her appearance and strong behavior had come as quite the shock to her Japanese classmates. Eventually, though, they had changed a bit because of her close existence.

Her presence had caused changes simply because they hadn’t been accustomed to a foreigner. This was probably the same thing. To Sasuke, _Sakura_ had changed so rapidly, and so he struggled to maintain the status quo, but ended up failing. Being exposed to new things and people, people change. Being in school hadn’t been the exact same, though. Times had changed from when her mother had gone to school. There were foreigners all over Tokyo now. Besides, people had known about her because they had grown up together. Kids her age were cool. Adults, though, were wary.

Mayu shook her head, ridding herself of those thoughts for now. She returned her focus on Uchiha Sasuke. "Did you _have_ to yank it so hard?" she questioned, frowning. She placed her hands on her hips. “I have a sensitive scalp!” Not really, but Sasuke didn’t need to know that. The rude boy merely rolled his eyes. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his shorts before beginning to walk. “Hey, Sasuke?"

"What?"

"If I ever start calling you _Sasuke-kun_... hit me," Mayu said.

"What?" Sasuke repeated, turning around to face her again.

"If… I… _ever_ … start… calling… you…” Mayu cheekily spoke at a slower pace. Not impressed, Sasuke glared at her. Snickering a bit, she resumed speaking naturally. “If I ever start referring to you as _Sasuke-kun_ , please hit me.”

"What for?"

"Just _do_ it, bird brain! So many damn questions!"

"Fine... whatever! Come on, let's go," he muttered.

0-0

"Okay, now that everyone's here... we can begin!" Kakashi said. Naruto cheered lightly. Sasuke had led Mayu straight to the location of where the three would begin training. "But before that, let me, once again, talk about chakra, the basis for the ability as a ninja.” The jounin leaned on crutches to support him.

"At a time like this?" Sasuke asked.

"I already know about that," Naruto said, smiling. " _Catra_ , right…?"

"It's chakra!" Kakashi corrected.

"Sasuke... did you think that it was _catra_ , too?" Mayu grinned at him. He only scoffed and looked away. “Oh, you did? _Wow_! Some genius you are.” The Uchiha didn’t bother to verbally reply, but he had given her an inappropriate hand gesture for her remark. “Ooh, _scathing_!”

"Okay, Sakura, can you explain to your ignorant teammates?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, sensei,” Mayu replied with a nod of her head. Truthfully, since she had arrived in this world, her free time consisted of reading about chakra, among other things regarding the world of ninja. She was now confident in her knowledge. “I’ll explain it to the best of my ability! Pay attention, Naruto… and Sasuke!” The Uchiha frowned, yet, again, did not make a comment. “I'm only going to explain this once!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Naruto saluted.

"Chakra is energy that ninja needs in order to do a technique," Mayu started. "That energy comes from the body, which is collected from every cell. Spirit that comes from training, experience, and hard work is also collected. These two energies—physical and spiritual—are molded together and squeezed out of the body. Handled effectively, the combination of the two energies—called molding—a person can perform techniques, using hand seals as mediums.”

"Correct. Iruka-sensei was blessed with a nice student after all," Kakashi said.

"What's with that? You can just learn that with your body even if you don't understand the hard stuff," Naruto commented.

"Exactly,” Sasuke agreed. “We're able to use techniques anyway.”

"No, you guys aren't able to use your chakra completely," Kakashi said.

"What?" Naruto sounded upset.

“ _Hmm_ … Actually, out of the three of you, Sakura might be the only one who utilizes her chakra effectively in combat,” Kakashi mentioned. Firmly put on the spot, Mayu felt her cheeks flush. “Recall that in our survival training, she was quick and strong enough to keep up with the pace that I set. She was using her chakra, wasting none as she fought against me.” Mayu looked down, using a single nail to scratch at her cheek. “I was most impressed with the control you exhibited, Sakura. Unlike the other two.”

“Thank you, sensei,” Mayu replied. The other two either groaned or sucked at his teeth. She chose not to look to see which one. Both her teammates were irritated by Kakashi’s words. Maybe because of how she had stormed off earlier, the jounin had felt the need to flatter her. Well, it had been nice to hear.

"Okay, okay! So, what should I do?" Naruto asked, eager for the solution.

"You're going to learn how to control it with your body," Kakashi said. "You must go through rigorous training where you put your life on the line."

“Were you always this dramatic, Kakashi-sensei?” Mayu questioned.

“Yes,” he replied simply, causing three pairs of eyes to roll.

"What are we going to be doing?" Sasuke asked.

"Climb a tree."

"Climb a tree?" Sasuke and Naruto repeated in near sync.

"That's right. But it's not ordinary tree climbing," Kakashi said. "You're going to climb without using your hands."

"How are we going to do that?" Naruto asked.

"Just watch," Kakashi said, and then formed a hand sign. The man easily walked up the nearest tree trunk. Naruto watched in utter amazement, commenting on the feat with enthusiasm. Mayu narrowed her eyes. All the reading she had done, and she hadn’t attempted to try the exercises for chakra control. Except the leaf one. That was a bit of fun. Tree-walking and water-walking had been furthest from her mind. She had resorted to jumping around instead. Paid the price for that. But running had been okay.

Mayu nodded her head in determination. This was her chance to get a bit stronger. She doubted she would be using any jutsu anytime soon. However, learning to stick to any surface would definitely help. She’d be like _Spiderman_! Grinning with glee, Mayu held back giggles.

"This is how," Kakashi said, now standing upside down on a branch of the tree. "Gather your chakra at the bottom of your feet and make it attach to the tree trunk. Something like this is possible if you use chakra."

"Alright! Let's get it started!" Mayu cheered. "I'm already fired up!" Kakashi merely went into another lecture about the purpose behind the training. Mayu tried not to roll her eyes. The jounin, unaware that one of his subordinates had been about to fall asleep, threw three kunai down at them. Mayu violently flinched away.

“Use those to mark your place,” Kakashi instructed, unperturbed by the girl squealing in shock.

"This training is too easy for me!" Naruto bragged, pulling the kunai out of the ground. Mayu also reached down to pull the blade out. Beside her, Sasuke did the same. "Since I'm the guy who is growing the most right now."

"Okay, be quiet,” Kakashi ordered, sounding bored. “Try and climb up any of the trees.”

The three genin formed hand seals, concentrating. Mayu felt a rush without the thrill of fighting. That was the feeling of chakra. She had felt it before. It was… somehow familiar… Like greeting an old friend. The girl bit her lower lip, closing her eyes and furrowing her brow. But that would be weird, wouldn’t it? Mayu breathed deeply through her nose before opening her eyes.

"All right! Let's go!" Naruto said.

The three rushed at their respective trees. Higher and higher Mayu went, amazed that she could feel the bottom of her shoes sticking to the bark as she ran. The breeze that came with running up was refreshing. And freeing. She should have tried it immediately after she had woken up in this body. However, she had lacked instruction. With instruction, it felt like she could do it effectively, and on her first try. Then her concentration broke. Eyes widening, Mayu quickly made her mark before falling backwards. Hastily, she grabbed a branch with her legs. The bark of the tree bit into her legs, causing a wince. Perhaps she could invest in some thick leggings in the future. Upside down, she crossed her arms, letting her braid hang freely. She had packed some ointment, hadn’t she?

Before her belongings could distract her, she focused on her other teammates. Their progress hadn’t been as high as hers. Maybe Sakura really was a natural when it came to controlling chakra. The story hadn’t focused on her in the beginning, at least, so Mayu didn’t truly know what this body could be capable of. For now, she would use that innate ability to her advantage. “Wow! I can't believe I got higher than Sasuke!" Mayu shouted, bringing attention to her upside-down form. Both her teammates were on the ground now.

"Sakura-chan…!" Naruto shouted in surprise.

"No. You're on the lowest branch of that tree," Sasuke stated.

" _Nah_! My mark is all the way up there!" Mayu replied unfolding her arms and pointing with the kunai. She kept her eyes on him, so she saw the irritation cross his face. She grinned. " _Fufufu_ … Is little Sasuke jealous?" He showed his teeth in a snarl. “With this chakra control, I might try my hand at shadow clones.” Naruto couldn’t contain his huff in time. Mayu’s grinned stretched a bit as she shifted her line of sight to Sasuke. “Or maybe I can try _fire_? I probably would master any fire technique I _want_.” Offended, Sasuke looked completely done with her crap.

"Wow, Sakura-chan! That's something I expected from the girl I have high hopes for!" Naruto complimented, though he still seemed irritated.

“As I thought, your knowledge and control of chakra is splendid,” Kakashi remarked. “Your concentration needs work, however.” The girl nodded her head in agreement. The jounin looked at the other two genin. “Looks like the female of our team is ahead of the rest. How long will it take you two to catch up?”

“I don’t think being female has anything to do with it, Kakashi-san,” Mayu retorted, glaring at the man. Then she shifted her sights on her teammates. “If besting me because I happen to be a girl is your motivation—get a new one. Got it?”

“Doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or not,” Sasuke scoffed.

“I definitely won’t lose to you either, Sakura-chan!” Naruto exclaimed.

“That’s what I’d like to hear,” Mayu said, smirking.

“ _Mah_ … Whatever the case, I want you three to continue,” Kakashi said.

"Yes, sensei!"

0-0

Mayu yawned loudly, not bothering to cover her mouth. It had been a pretty unproductive day, after all. She had spent most of the time, guarding the bridge builders. Naruto and Sasuke were still trying to master control. Between the two, Sasuke had made the most progress, but he hadn’t been nailing it every time. Naruto had stayed within the same range. So, Mayu had given tips to the blond in hopes that he would improve. Maybe it would be enough. Maybe not, though. Naruto had had a dazed look on his face as she had tried to explain to him how she had been able to master the ability of sticking to the surface of trees.

Honestly, it probably had something to do with the body she was in. No way would she have caught on so easily to chakra control if she had her own body. After all, she hadn’t had the same advantage as others. Still, Kakashi had been impressed and had rewarded her with protecting the building staff today all by herself. It had been boring and uneventful. No one bothered to engage in conversation with her either. Probably because her humming had turned into full blown out performances, equipped with an imaginary microphone, air guitars, and drums.

Hours passed, and eventually the sun began to set. Tazuna lightly shook Mayu’s shoulders, waking her up from a lucid dream of an eating contest. Groggily, she sat up, wiping the drool from her face. Her stomach growled. “Looks like you’re hungry,” Tazuna remarked. “Let’s go pick up a few things for dinner.”

“Alright!” Mayu agreed, smiling at the thought of eating. The two walked through town for a bit. She looked at the buildings and the people, noting how… down everything seemed. There were kids, younger than she, sitting about with their heads down was. The sight of them subdued her cheerfulness at eating quite considerably.

"Here we are," Tazuna said, gaining the girl’s attention. The two walked into a store, but it was completely empty. Well, not completely, but it wasn't like any market Mayu had ever been to. Clearly, this village was suffering. Uncomfortably scratching at her cheek, Mayu waited for the bridge builder to pay for his items. Honestly, she didn’t remember this at all. But apparently the main bad guy of this arc had been causing all this to happen.

Suddenly, Mayu felt a hand on her rear end. Squeaking in utter shock, she coiled up tight. It was the very first time this had happened to her. She had heard horrible stories of groping, but she hadn’t thought Sakura had experienced it. Without much thought, Mayu swiftly turned around, backhanding the one that had dared. A man she didn’t recognize flew back, blood spraying from his nostrils.

"Keep your hands to yourself, pervert!" Mayu yelled, completely incensed. The man scrambled away, crying out apologies. She glared at his retreating back until he was gone. What the hell? How come no one ever mentioned that Sakura, a child, had been molested?! If she had known…!

“L-Let’s go,” Tazuna told her, snapping her out of dark thoughts. Apparently, he had finished paying. Mayu pursed her lips before giving a curt nod. The two left the store and began walking. A few minutes into the trek back to the home of the bridge builder, Tazuna shifted his attention towards her. "You sure surprised me earlier," he commented, sounding mildly impressed.

"Does that stuff happen regularly here?!" Mayu questioned, angrily.

“N-N-No!” the old man tried to assure her. “In fact, he might have been trying to go for your bag.” Mayu’s eyebrows knitted together. “There’s so many people here that go starving because of Gatoh. Ever since he…” Before Tazuna could finish, there was a slight yank on Mayu’s clothes. She turned around, only to lower her gaze. There was a younger girl, holding out her hands.

"Please…?"

"Oh..." Mayu blinked, eyeing the kid. She was quite young, dressed in rags. It didn’t appear as if she had had a bath recently. Or even a proper meal. Frowning, Mayu reached into her bag and pulled out a rice ball. It had been a leftover from her lunch. She had planned on eating it, or teasing her teammates with it, later, but… "Here you go,” she handed the bit of food to the kid.

"Thank you, onee-san!" the child exclaimed, elated and incredulous.

"Don't worry! My friends and I are going to get Gatoh soon!" Mayu declared. The little girl looked confused. However, she still nodded, and then ran off.

"It's been like this since Gatoh came," Tazuna continued. "All the adults have lost hope here. That's why... we need that bridge now! A symbol of courage. We need the people to lose their fear and regain the desire to stand up for themselves. If that bridge... can just be completed! The city would return to that time... The people would return to how they used to be..."

"Then I guess… that bridge needs building," Mayu said, resuming her movements to the edge of town. "Get moving, you. You’re going to need your rest if you're ever going to complete the bridge!"

0-0

" _Um_ …" Truly, Mayu was at a loss. Later that night, both Naruto and Sasuke had returned, looking worse for wear. However, after realizing food had been available, both had immediately sat down to partake. Now, they were chowing down as though they had never tasted anything so good in their lives. They were practically inhaling their portions, seemingly not taking the time to chew. "Could you two slow down?" she muttered, pointedly taking smaller bites.

"MORE!" In unison, they shouted as they stood up from the table and held out their respective bowls for another helping. Realizing their blunder, the two genin glared at one another. They then abruptly threw up. Mayu scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Remind me not to sign you guys up for eating contests," she muttered, shaking her head in disappointment. "Clearly, you two don’t know how to pace yourselves!"

"I must eat to become stronger," Sasuke said, wiping his mouth.

"Yeah, we have to, no matter what," Naruto agreed. "Because we have to become stronger as fast as possible."

"Yup, yup," Kakashi agreed.

"Sound advice,” Mayu commended. “But just how are you going to use that fuel if you throw it back up?!" She turned her eyes on Sasuke. “Well, maybe Sasuke has some sorta innate thing from his youth about being fed regurgitation-”

“Shut _up_!” Sasuke growled out, obviously not liking all the bird comments.

“-But Naruto, you should know better than to eat like that,” Mayu continued, ignoring the threat in Sasuke’s expression.

“Sakura-chan, you eat like that all the time and never throw up!” Naruto whined.

“I’m just used to it,” she said, shrugging.

“Pigs usually are,” Sasuke muttered.

“Bite me, bird boy!"

Before it could turn into an intense argument full of insults and threats of bodily harm, Naruto interrupted by bringing attention to a picture on the adjacent wall. "Hey, that picture," he said, pointing. Curious, the other members of Team 7 followed his finger. It seemed to be a family portrait, but there was a piece missing. "Why is it torn like that?" For a few moments, no one answered him. Then, from the kitchen, Tazuna’s daughter quietly answered.

"He was my husband," she stated, but she did not stop her task of washing the dishes.

"The man once called the hero of the city..." Tazuna started. However, Inari, the little boy who had joined them for dinner left the room without a word. Tsunami quickly followed him.

"Father! I told you not to talk about that man in front of Inari!" she said as she left.

"There seems to be a story behind this," Kakashi remarked.

Mayu refrained from sighing heavily. When would this world cease its endless backstories? It seemed like no one could go a day without spouting a speech or their tragic past. She couldn’t remember this part either. Perhaps she had fallen asleep during it. That seemed to be the case because her eyelids became heavier the longer Tazuna droned on and on. Not bothering to fight any longer, Mayu shut her eyes. If she hadn’t stayed awake while watching the show, no way would she stay awake for the real thing.

She was quite the rude child.

0-0

Mayu sighed lightly, cursing her very dreams. She had found herself walking through a forest, completely alone in the middle of the day. For once, couldn’t she have a dream where she was stuck in an ice cream factory? Would that be asking too much? Abruptly, a loud sigh broke her out of her _woe is me_ state. Pulled from her thoughts, she looked up. Ahead, there seemed to be a break in the forest. Finally, she had reached a clearing. Picking up the pace a bit, she walked briskly towards where the noise had come from. She stepped out of the foliage, squinting her eyes. Once they adjusted to the additional sunlight, her eyes settled on a lone boy standing on top of a hill. He had his back turned to her, but she clearly recognized the boy as Uchiha Sasuke.

Frowning, Mayu quietly made her way up the hill towards him. First time for everything, she supposed. Perhaps this was a fighting dream. Oh, that would explain his presence. Cool. Snickering to herself, she silently dropped down so that she could move using her hands, too. “Don’t you dare,” Sasuke’s voice warned just as she had been about to pounce on her prey. Clicking her tongue, Mayu halted. The Uchiha turned around, eyeing her warily. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask the same question,” Mayu retorted, standing to her full height. “This is my dream, and I don’t wanna boring person like you showing up.”

“ _Hn_.”

“See…? Boring response.”

“… Sit with me,” Sasuke said. Mayu reared her head back and gave a befuddled look. “Come on.” Shrugging, the girl sat down. After a few seconds, Sasuke did the same. The two sat there, quietly, watching the lake down below. Mayu scratched at her cheek, still puzzled as to why Sasuke was here. She turned her gaze to the shinobi, willing him to give her answers. Sensing her gaze, his dark eyes looked her way. He raised a brow. “What?”

“Why am I sitting with you?” Mayu questioned.

“Because you want to, don’t you?”

“I’d rather have Hinata-chan to perfectly honest,” she stated. The scowl directed at her caused her to grin. “But I guess I’ll make do.” Sasuke scoffed lightly, returning his eyes towards the lake. “Is this what you do in your spare time?”

“Sometimes,” he answered with a shrug. “I’ve started meditating, though. So, thanks for that, Mayu.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty awesome,” she said. Then her brow furrowed. “Wait… How do you know I’m not Sakura?”

Sasuke, once again, turned his sights on her. His confusion was noticeable. “Because your hair’s not giving me a headache…?” he replied slowly. “It’s been awhile since you’ve used Sakura’s body as your own. Did you hit your head again?” Mayu scowled and showed off a very inappropriate hand gesture. Sasuke merely snickered. However, the slight laugh was ignored, partially, in favor of examining her hand.

“I’m… me?” she whispered in awe. Her fingers hastily reached up, running through her hair. The long braid was naturally her hair color—not dyed at all. “Oh, wow!” she exclaimed in excitement. She turned to Sasuke, only to see that he had changed. He appeared older, just a little, in different attire. Darker clothes equipped with a sheathed long katana. His eyes were red with his Sharingan activated.

“You’re staring…” Sasuke mentioned, voice a bit deeper than the last time he had spoken.

“Pikachu,” Mayu remarked.

"Are you making fun of me?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. Mayu found herself smirking. “You have two seconds to placate me.”

" _Oh_? I’m sorry. All I heard was ‘ _Pika_ …? _Pika_ , _pika_! _Pikachu_!’" Mayu snorted in amusement because she had made her voice go deeper. " _Ahh_ …! It’s too bad I can’t translate!” She grinned, cheerfully provoking him. Sasuke glared, but it wasn’t his best. Mayu stuck out her tongue. For a moment, Sasuke only sat there. “You want some of this, bird brain?” Without warning, he tackled the arrogant girl, sending them both rolling down the hill. When the teens stopped, just before the edge of the lake, Mayu had settled herself on top. "Okay,” she grinned down at him. “You got me. Was not expecting a tackle, but you’re still on the bottom.” He smirked. It was so infuriating. "What are you smirking at?"

“It’s a position I’ve gladly gotten used to,” Sasuke admitted. Somehow, Mayu felt her brain crack. She lost her grin and blinked twice. Paying her reaction no mind, Sasuke lifted himself in a sitting position, seemingly not caring that his movement had caused Mayu to straddle him completely. In fact, his hands gripped her hips and he stared back at her. She only sat frozen on top of him. “Mayu… When we’re older… marry me.”

“What?!”

Sasuke opened his mouth, appearing unconcerned with the tight, incredulous response, but before he could say another word, another voice interrupted. Both teens shifted their eyes upward to the spot where they had been before. Naruto stood on top of the hill. He appeared older as well. The blond lifted his arm in an enthusiastic wave. “Hey, we got another mission! Would you two stop fooling around, already?! We gotta go!”

“So loud…” Sasuke muttered with a roll of his eyes. He turned back to her, dark eyes expected. With a squeak, Mayu quickly removed herself from his person. Together, they stood up. “We’ll finish this later.”

"H-Hold on!" Mayu shouted, halted his steps up the hill. "What did you say?" Okay. She must have misheard him. Yes. No way would Uchiha Sasuke asked for—demand—her hand in marriage. Because gross. Sasuke was behaving normally, anyway. So nonchalant, so he definitely hadn’t just said those words to her. Silly ears needed to stop playing tricks. “Th-There’s nothing to finish because I obviously misheard you!”

Sasuke turned, eyeing her over his shoulder. To Mayu’s surprise, he wore a smile. Horrified, she could only stare in a state of shock. She could feel the heat surging through her body to settle in her cheeks. Sasuke looked up to the sky. “When we’re older…” he began. For a few seconds, the wind picked up, and Mayu could only stand there petrified. Then Sasuke turned his eyes back to her, dark and deep without the Sharingan. There was such a warm look in his eyes. It freaked her out. "Don’t choose someone else. Choose me.” A strangled gasp escaped her throat. Sasuke turned, continuing up the hill. “Let’s go,” he said.

Mayu opened and closed her mouth, baffled beyond comprehension. She stood there near the lake for a good long period before actually blinking. She took in a shuddering breath, closing her eyes. Then she shook her head. “Wait a minute…!” she called out, though both Naruto and Sasuke had gone. “I don’t want that!” However, before she could attempt to call back the freaky, weird, bird brain, and tell him the what for, her sight had blurred quite a bit.

0-0

"I DON'T WANT THAT!" Mayu screamed, bolting upright. She shuddered violently, and then blinked, realizing she was no longer outside. In addition, it appeared that everyone around the table was staring at her in surprise.

" _Eh_? Sakura-chan…? What don't you want?" Naruto questioned. It appeared that she had bolted right out of that dream. A sigh of relief passed her lips as she shut her eyes. "Oh, and you're kinda punching Sasuke right now." Mayu flinched, and then slowly looked to her right. Sure enough, her pale fist lodged firmly into Sasuke’s cheek. His eye twitched in annoyance.

"Would you _kindly_ remove your fist?!" Sasuke demanded, angrily knocking her arm away from him.

Stupefied, Mayu felt her cheeks grow warm as Sasuke continued to glare. "I need to be excused!" Her shrill voice cracked as she hastily stood up. Without another warning, the girl took off out of the room and into the hallway. She only halted once she was sure no one had attempted to follow. With a trembling hand, she leaned against the wall, panting a bit. Her other hand clutched the fabric that covered her chest. Within her chest, her heart pumped blood viciously through her system. Now, normally, Mayu would not use such severe language, mostly because she feared her mother coming out of nowhere to whack her with a shoe, but desperate times, and whatnot.

“… The _fuck_?”

0-0


	7. The Truth Leads to Friendship

Mayu walked into the kitchen, positively beaming. Half of her team was already there, being served breakfast, courtesy of Tazuna’s daughter. The bridge builder himself also sat at the kitchen table. “Morning…!” she greeted them as she took her place at the table. She received only two responses. Sasuke chose to look away from her, a frown tugging at his lips. However, she didn’t pay too much attention to him anyway. Last night, there were no dreams of the broody boy. No dreams of holy matrimony. Definitely no casual intimate contact either. Only dreams of frolicking with Gaara through sand and becoming an international champion of kickboxing. What wonderful dreams they had been. The cheerful girl fidgeted lightly as food was placed in front of her. Delighted, she thanked their host for the meal, and then proceeded to dig in.

"Naruto didn't come back last night?" Tazuna questioned.

"I wasn't aware that he left," Mayu replied, mouth full of food.

"Don’t speak with your mouth full, Sakura,” Kakashi scolded. The girl forewent responding with a sarcastic ‘Yes, _mom_!’ in favor of stuffing her face. “You did rush off right before Naruto left," Kakashi continued, unknowing that he had dodged a nickname. "Are you feeling all right, Sakura?"

Mayu nodded her head, and then swallowed. "Yeah, actually... I'm _fired_ up!" she told him, clenching both her fists. “I can’t wait until we face our enemies again!” Kakashi’s visibly eye crinkled, supposedly amused. "Anyway, Naruto’s probably sleeping against a tree somewhere."

"I do hope Naruto-kun's all right," Tazuna's daughter remarked. "A child all alone in the woods overnight..."

"Don't worry," Kakashi assured her. "He might not look it, but he's a true ninja."

"I don't know…" Sasuke muttered to himself. "It wouldn't surprise me if that moron was dead."

Mayu gasped melodramatically while putting a hand over her chest. "How could you say something so cruel about your own teammate, bird boy?!” she questioned, mustering the most wounded look she could. Sasuke grimaced. “Now we have to go find him to make sure he’s okay!”

“We…?” Sasuke repeated, dubiously.

“Yes!” Mayu nearly hissed, standing up and grabbing onto his hair. Of course, the dramatic Uchiha screeched in surprise, and maybe pain, as she dragged him out of his seat. “Payback’s a mother, isn’t it, Sasuke?”

“Let go of me!”

“Nope!” Mayu held fast as she headed for the door, forcing her teammate to follow.

0-0

Sasuke glowered as he followed his strange teammate. The girl, flat out ignoring him, hummed a tune he hadn’t heard before. She did that often. They had been walking around the nearby forest for a bit in search of Naruto, but the pain lingered still. Sakura hadn’t let go of his hair until they had made it out of the house. She had merely laughed when he had swatted at her. It hadn’t been until he had kneed her in the gut that she had taken the hint to release him. Honestly, he should have turned back, but he hadn’t. Slight headache aside, it probably had been a good idea to make sure Naruto hadn’t been dying somewhere.

Eyes narrowed, Sasuke continued to watch the girl. She was… different. No, he hadn’t paid much attention to her back at the Academy. He had had no reason to. After all, she had been categorized like the other girls in his class. Annoying. All the girls in class had been annoying. Constantly trying to get his attention with annoying methods. Squabbling with each other and claiming himself as _theirs_. As if they had had that right. Being persistent despite multiple instances of Sasuke essentially telling them all to piss off. He had never hated the – _kun_ honorific so much in his life. Sakura had been one of them. The screech of her voice had been like the rest. She had had greedy eyes just like all the other girls. There was nothing noteworthy about her. Just like them.

And then… they had become ninja. It had seemed as though getting a forehead protector had changed her entire outlook. Sasuke wouldn’t dare reason that he had known her well enough, but the change had been a stark contrast from how she had behaved in the Academy. Perhaps she had only needed to be away from the hive mind of his fangirls. He had heard somewhere that girls synchronized, or something like that. He couldn’t remember what the conversation had been about, but there had been talks of synchronizing amongst the female gender.

Anyway, from her looks to her behavior, Haruno Sakura had become a different type of annoying. Better than she had been, though, in his opinion. She teased him now. Mercilessly. Sasuke now expected the bird comments from his teammate. It seemed to be a personal goal of hers to irritate him. Not in the same way she had before, though. She seemed to seriously want to fight him, too. And with the skills she had shown against Kakashi that first day, Sasuke could admit that she _could_. Sakura had never shown anything like it in school. Her prowess, as well as her mind, in battle was… impressive. Never would he say that aloud, though. The girl had become haughty, too. He could tell.

Perhaps Sakura had put up a front for their classmates. Perhaps she had wanted to fit in so badly that she had conformed to the majority’s ways. Whatever the reason, she no longer seemed to care about the opinion of others and behaved in a way that she wanted to because of it. Truthfully, it wasn’t so bad. The way she carried herself was… entirely _her_. Sasuke could see her now. Not just an annoying fangirl. He was grateful for that because she was tolerable now. Not to mention, she no longer looked at him like a gift—a _thing_ —that had been sent by the gods themselves to choose her as his bride. She saw _him_ now, too. Not his name. Not his bloodline. Not his looks. She saw through those things and acted accordingly because of it.

He was an asshole, and she treated him as if he was. No holds barred. Conversely, she treated Naruto with respect and admiration. His dream of being Hokage had been defended by her, and so passionately. Sakura treated those around her based on their actions and words. It was a nice change of pace. Besides all that, there also seemed to be a darker side to her. A side that wanted vengeance. For the first time, Sasuke felt as though he could relate to someone. She wasn’t just a kid, pretending to be a ninja. She was a warrior who sought justice. Just like him. She was still annoying, but… Sasuke found himself wanting to know more.

“Where could he be?” Sakura muttered. From his vantage point, Sasuke could see that she had crossed her arms. “Shouldn’t we have heard him snoring by now?”

“It was your big idea to go looking for him,” Sasuke pointed out, shoving his hands into his pockets. Sakura turned her head a bit, and then petulantly stuck her tongue out. He rolled his eyes at her childish reaction. So annoying. Still, the corner of his lips tugged upward. He wouldn’t say it out loud, ever, but he got a wicked sense of amusement from interacting with Sakura. She was unpredictable, yet predictable at the same time. An enigma he wanted to unravel. Then get tangled up in. Sasuke frowned because of that certain thought. He shook his head, not understanding that at all. “ _Oi_ , Sakura…!”

“Sup…?” she replied, not halting steps.

“I wanted to ask you,” Sasuke began, matching her pace. “What was the matter with you last night?” He hadn’t appreciated being punched so unexpectedly. The girl had been asleep and had woken up in a panic. “Am I going to have to worry about sleeping in close proximity to you?” She laughed uneasily.

“It was just a weird dream,” Sakura told him. “Trust me when I say that I’m not planning for that to happen _ever_ again.” She hummed lightly, clasping her hands behind her back. “But… I wanted to ask you something as well.” Her green eyes shifted in his direction. “Do you happen to be interested in _kenjutsu_?”

“Sword techniques…? Not really,” Sasuke admitted. “What brought this up?”

“Just curious, I guess,” Sakura said, smiling. “Don’t think too much of it, Sasuke-kun!”

Sasuke grimaced, hearing the familiar term of endearment. Sakura walked on, seemingly not noticing the way she had addressed him. Bird brain, bird boy, idiot, and just Sasuke. But ever since they had become genin, it had never been _Sasuke-kun_. He would rather have her silly nicknames than to go back that route. Therefore, remembering her demand, Sasuke yanked on her long braid. Sakura screeched loudly, but he quickly followed up with a punch to her right temple.

“What the hell?!” she shouted, sharply turning to glare at him. She snatched her hair back, clearly offended. He hadn’t hit her that hard, so she wasn’t in any pain. “I’m gonna beat you-!”

“You told me to hit you,” Sasuke stated, unrepentant of his actions. Truthfully, he would rather nip it before it became her habit again. Sakura opened her mouth, looking as though she was gearing up to attack. “You called me Sasuke-kun.” That gave her pause. “If you called me that, I could hit you. That’s what you said.” Her eyes grew wide, nearly looking comical. “Sakura…?” Only high-pitched squeaks managed to come from her mouth. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything!” she suddenly shouted. Confused, Sasuke watched his teammate grab both sides of her head. “I’m _losing_ myself! I mean, Sasuke- _kun_? _Sasuke-kun_?! SASUKE-KUN?!” Sasuke, himself, looked around, wondering if he should back away slowly. The strike to the head only seemed to make it worse. “What the hell is wrong with me?!”

“That’s what I’d like to know, Sakura.”

This only seemed to send her into a fit of louder screeching. _No_ being the only word he recognized, and she was saying it over and over again. Most of it sounded like made up words, though. Complete gibberish. Then suddenly, Sakura grabbed onto the front of Sasuke’s collar. She pulled him forward, snarling in his face. “Stop calling me that!” she demanded with a vicious shake. “My name is not Sakura! Mayu! Mayu! Mayu!” More vicious shaking occurred. “Mayu, damn it! My name is Ishikari _Mayu_!”

"W-W-What?! Sakura, what’s your problem?!" Sasuke managed to get out.

"No! My name is Mayu! Say it!" she ordered, still shaking him.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

" _Say_ ~ it!" she nearly growled in his face.

"Okay! Okay! Your name is _Mayu_!" Sasuke cried out. The name jumped from his mouth, feeling strange yet oddly… right? The girl almost instantly released him. Sasuke, completely thrown, lost his balance and fell to the ground. She paid no mind. She was too busy heaving a sigh of relief.

" _Ahhh_! I really needed to hear that!" she said, grin returning. “Ishikari Mayu… That’s who I am.”

"What _the fuck_?!" Sasuke raised his voice. The girl flinched, and then grimaced, eyes shifting in his direction. Sasuke quickly stood up from the ground. "Where did _Mayu_ come from?!" Again, the name… Had he heard it somewhere before? He clenched his teeth, glaring hard now. The girl stared wide-eyed at him, a nervous smile stretching across her face.

“ _Uhh_ …” she began, scratching her cheek. "What are you talking about, Sasuke?" She cleared her throat, and then fixed her face as though he confused her. “Did you drink something you weren’t supposed to?”

"Don't get dumb!" Sasuke told her. He quickly pulled out a single kunai. The girl flinched again, eyes focusing on the weapon. " _Answer_ me! Are you an enemy ninja disguised as my teammate?"

"I’m… gonna say no," she answered slowly. Not liking the answer, Sasuke slammed her back against a tree. The tip of the kunai pressed against the sensitive skin of her throat. Just yesterday, she had had him in this same position. Wincing, the girl cracked opened her eyes. For the first time, Sasuke saw fear.

"Explain yourself!" he demanded.

The girl shut her eyes for a few seconds, taking that time to compose herself. Then she opened them. The slight fear was gone. However, she made no moves to counter him. “Okay,” she began. "I asked myself... myself said ‘ _mmm_?’ I said 'why are we in the wrong body?' Myself said 'I don't know! Why are you even talking me?' and I was like ‘Girl, I’m trying’-" Sasuke almost couldn’t stop the eye roll in time. He pressed the tip of the kunai harder against her skin, and she sharply breathed in through her nose.

" _Don't_ play with me!" he said.

"Okay, okay!" she retorted, appearing annoyed now. "The day after graduation is the day _Sakura_ started acting differently, yes? That morning, I woke up in her body. I cannot explain the reason for that. I didn’t choose this body— _believe_ me. If you want to get technical about it, _I_ became your teammate. Not her, so I’m not disguising myself at all.” Sasuke slowly lowered the blade kunai, yet he could feel his expression still twisted into a glare.

"Are you an enemy ninja?”

"I… I wasn’t _trained_ to be a ninja in the first place."

“What does that mean?”

“It means… Where I’m from, ninja is not a viable career option. I am a normal girl-” Sasuke could not stop the scoff. “-who happens to know how to fight back. That’s it.” Apparently, she was going to ignore the scoff completely. After a few tense moments, Sasuke decided to let her go. He uncurled his fingers from her clothing and completely removed the kunai away. Pressing his lips together, he slid the weapon back into his leg holster. He wasn’t completely satisfied with her story, but enemy or not, why would she choose someone like Haruno Sakura? If she was an enemy, looking to gain secrets, there were better options—better bodies—to choose from. Besides, he had never heard of an untraceable jutsu that allowed the user to have such a long period within someone else’s body. This had to be the work of a jutsu—maybe gone wrong—right?

"I need to tell Kakashi-sensei about this," Sasuke said, turning away.

"Wait! You can't!" she said, grabbing his arm. He looked back at her. He frowned and arched his left brow. "You can't tell _anyone_!"

"Give me one good reason."

"You _like_ me too much," she said, quite smugly. Sasuke immediately snatched his arm away from her and continued walking. “ _Oi_! I was kidding!” She caught up to him, moving right in front of him. Sasuke did not stop walking, forcing her to walk backwards. “Come on! I may have mysteriously woken up in this body, but-but you guys are my team! I care about you all! I don’t want to separate from you this early in the game.” That made Sasuke stop. She nearly tripped over nothing in an attempt to the do the same. “I trust you, along with Naruto and Kakashi-sensei. I don’t want to leave you after only a week.”

“… It’s been over a month…” Sasuke said slowly.

“It _has_ …?” she questioned, eyebrows drawing together. “Whoa… I was thinking a week. Well, I do tend to disassociate when I’m bored, but _jeez_! A whole _month_?” Sasuke stared at her, flatly. How could someone that could form battle strategies be such an idiot? “Anyway…! Are you… going to tell sensei?”

“… No, not yet,” he told her. “We’re still on a mission, and right now, this situation is not a priority. Like I said, it’s been a month, and the team has learned to trust and have each other’s backs. I can’t jeopardize that. And _this_ can’t be good for trust.” The girl, _Mayu_ , nodded her head. “As soon as we get back to the village, the Hokage needs to hear about this… predicament. Maybe he’ll know a way to get you back into your own body.”

“ _Mm_.” She nodded again in agreement, but seemed a bit down. “Okay,” she continued, the disappointment vanishing. Her smile widened. “Thank you, Sasuke! I like being on this team, and I’ll enjoy it for however long it lasts.”

“ _Hn_.” Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets again. He averted his eyes elsewhere for a moment. The tip of his tongue glided over his front teeth for a second. “So… Mayu… how much of what you told us _was_ a lie?” he questioned.

“What? Nothing,” she replied. “I mean, only my name was the lie. I’m Ishikari Mayu. Nice to meet you.”

“So… you really do want revenge?”

“Everything I’ve said, besides my name, is the truth, Sasuke,” she reiterated.

“Okay,” he replied, switching the direction he had intended to walk. For whatever reason, he felt relief washing over him. “Let’s go find Naruto.”

“ _Mm_!” Mayu agreed excitedly.

0-0

The two walked side-by-side at a leisure pace, quiet in their movements. Out of the corner of her eye, Mayu watched the shinobi. She couldn’t believe that she had freaked out so much. Now Uchiha Sasuke knew that she was not the person he had graduated with. All because she had referred to him with such an honorific. What was with this body anyway? First the outlandish dream, and then the reaction. _Gah_! Had some of Sakura’s mannerisms been left behind? Hopefully, nothing like that would never happen again. Then again, she now had someone who could snap her out of it. With his fist. Her head still hurt a bit from his earlier punch. Perhaps she should have specified how hard the hit could be. The birdbrain would probably just ignore that anyway.

Mayu supposed that it had only been a matter of time before someone discovered her identity. Honestly, she thought it would be Kakashi since he was intuitive, or something. Or Yamanaka Ino. Out of everyone, the blonde had known Sakura the most. However, low and behold, it had been Uchiha Sasuke. And he hadn’t _figured_ it out. _Gah_! How could she have let her real name come out like that? Interrogations were probably not her friend. She would most likely crumble like a paper bag. She briefly wondered how the conversation with the Hokage would go. Hopefully, the Third wouldn’t sic Ibiki on her. She didn’t need that stress in her life.

Without warning, Mayu was snapped from her thoughts. Sasuke had pulled her closer to him. Only then had she realized she had been about to run into a person. Not just any person. Haku, in pink clothing, walked past them without a word. Oh. He was prettier in person, she couldn’t help but think as the boy moved further away. “Watch where you’re going,” Sasuke scolded, releasing his hold on her arm. Mayu turned her attention to her teammate.

“At least I wasn’t singing,” she replied.

“There is that,” he remarked, a hint of a smirk on his face.

“ _Eff_ you, Sasuke! I have the voice of an angel!”

“Yeah, from hell maybe.”

“Sakura-chan! Sasuke!” Before Mayu could give a scathing retort, the familiar voice of Naruto caught her attention. It seems that they had stumbled onto his training ground. He stood underneath a tree and pointed in surprise. “You guys came to find me?”

"Of course! What kind of teammate would I be if I didn't?" Mayu cooed. Naruto happily grinned. "That's the reason Sasuke's here, too!"

"No. You dragged me here against my will," Sasuke corrected.

"So, how _are_ you doing?" Mayu continued, ignoring the smartass remark. Naruto’s grin widened further, exuberance coming off him in waves. "Well, are you going to tell us?"

"You'll see!" he answered.

"Naruto! Sasuke! Sakura!" Kakashi’s voice called out to them.

"Everybody, hide!" Naruto said.

Stifling a giggle, Mayu quickly jumping up in order to hide among the branches of the tree. She peered through the leaves down at the spot where they had been. Naruto had quickly gone into the hiding as well. Sasuke merely stood there. She saw his eyes roll from her vantage point. Mayu had to swallow another giggle, listening to the shinobi muttering to himself about being surrounded by simpletons. Still, he settled for hiding as well. Eventually, Kakashi walked towards the area his team of genin had been standing.

"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura!" he called again.

Suddenly, a kunai lodged in the ground directly in front of where Kakashi had been about to step. Despite the aerial attack, the jounin leisurely looked upwards. Obviously, he was not threatened in the least. Mayu lifted her gaze as well, focusing on her blond teammate on the highest branch of the tree he was in. She smiled, proud of his feat. It appeared that Naruto had rapidly improved since yesterday.

"What do you think?" Naruto shouted down at Kakashi, excited as can be. "Look how far I can climb now!" He stood up, balancing on the branch. Then the laughing stopped, and it looked as though he would fall backwards. Mayu jerked forward, but it was for naught. Naruto had used his chakra to stick to the bottom of the branch. “Just kidding!” The laughter came back, along with a pointed finger in Kakashi’s direction. "You fell for it! You fell for it!"

Then with an unexpected pop, Naruto’s feet came loose. With startling clarity, Mayu realized that it had not been a ploy. Her teammate had nothing to grab onto. She hastily rushed forward. Fortunately, the tree had been right next to the one she had been hiding in. Her fingers curled around Naruto’s ankle and she used her chakra to remain in place even with the extra weight. A heavy sigh left her as she closed her eyes. “So reckless,” she murmured.

"You had the same idea, too?" Mayu opened her eyes and looked to her right. Sasuke stood upside down beside her. He had grabbed onto Naruto’s other ankle. “What is this moron going to do without us?”

"Probably die,” she remarked. “That or lose more brain cells. Can’t have that.”

"I can hear you, you know!" Naruto called up, offended.

"Then hear this! Stop being so reckless all the time!" Mayu retorted, shifting her line of sight down. The blond visibly pouted as he crossed his arms. A slight huff left his mouth. Mayu sighed, knowing that the advice wouldn’t deter him in the future. Recklessness was fine on occasion, but Naruto could win an award for an all-time high, couldn’t he?

"He is such a moron," Sasuke said.

"You guys don’t have to be so mean..." Naruto whined.

"You three are really growing!" Kakashi complimented. "And working together as a team, too! I'm impressed." Mayu grinned widely. “Keep working hard, my students.”

“Yes, sensei…!”

0-0

It had changed from day to night quickly, or so it had seemed. Kakashi had left them to their own devices. Collectively, the three had decided to keep training with their chakra. They had been running up and down trees until the moon had surfaced. They had all managed to reach the highest point of the tallest tree in the forest. Naruto, the worse at chakra control, had managed the feat without falling once. Mayu could definitely feel the pride, in not only herself, but also her teammates.

"Shall we go back now?" Sasuke asked.

Mayu nodded as Naruto shouted in agreement. The three climbed down at a slow pace, obviously tired from the training. They made it to the bottom, and then began the trek home. Again, at a snail’s pace. Even Naruto had seemed lethargic. Mayu suddenly stopped. "Naruto, Sasuke…" she caught their attention. The two shinobi halted as well, turning curious eyes on her. “Can I just say…” she began, an abrupt jittery feeling forming within her. “Being on this team, having a chance to be friends with the both of you, I’ve never felt so proud before. Not for someone else, I think. Not like this. It really feels like we’re growing together. Maybe at different paces, but we get there, and I’m so grateful to have that chance. I’ve come to care about both of you.”

“Sakura-chan…!” Naruto seemed touched, and pleased, by her words. “I care about you, too! We’re definitely the best team out there!”

“Yes!” Mayu grinned. Then, without warning, she latched onto Naruto in a fierce hug. The blond seemed so startled by the action that he nearly lost his balance. Mayu, however, held firm. This mission might be the last time she would get a chance. She would make the most of it. “Naruto, good luck with your dream,” she told him in a whisper. He tensed in response. “I believe you’ll be the greatest Hokage one day. You have my full support. Anything you need or want to know, I’ve got your back.”

“Sakura-chan…” Naruto repeated, much more subdued than before. Then he returned the embrace, squeezing her tightly. Mayu merely chuckled. She held him a few more seconds before releasing him. Then she turned her sights on Sasuke.

“You better not,” he warned.

“Like you can stop me, bird brain,” Mayu retorted. Then to prove her point, she rushed at him. Sasuke put up a front, but with all the training he had put his body through today, he could do little to thwart her attempt. Mayu hugged him just as she had done with Naruto. If possible, Sasuke tensed up way more. It was sad that both boys weren’t used to physical affection. “Get strong, Sasuke. In both body and mind. With or without help, I believe you can bring justice to the one responsible for your vengeance. But try to keep an open heart about it, okay?”

“What… What brought this on?” Sasuke questioned in a whisper. He only stood there, allowing the hug to continue. He was still tense, but it wasn’t glaringly obvious now. “You’re acting like you’re about to say goodbye.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Mayu told him, removing her arms from around him. She smiled, though inside she knew that this was a bit of a goodbye. After all, it was doubtful that the Hokage would allow her to remain on this team once her imposter status became known. “I’m just super glad that I have such wonderful teammates! Now, let’s get back to Tazuna’s so that we can eat!”

Without waiting for a response from the shinobi, Mayu quickly headed in the direction of the house they were staying in. She heard the two following behind her, but they still chose not to comment. The three of them traveled in silence, but with each step, Mayu felt the pressure pushing down on her shoulders. Chakra exhaustion, maybe…? She had never felt it before, after all. In any case, eventually, her eyes spotted the door to Tazuna’s house. She heaved a heavy sigh, slightly picking up the pace.

Choosing not to knock, Mayu twisted the doorknob and stepped inside. Her teammates walked in after. The occupants of the home looked their way. The bridge builder commented on their appearance. They were a sight, weren’t they? Sweaty and dirty from their training, the three of them moved closer to the adults. “All of us… made it to the top!” Naruto cheered, slightly panting out.

“That’s good,” Kakashi nodded in approval. Underneath his mask, he seemed to be smiling. “Naruto, Sasuke—tomorrow, you will protect Tazuna-san, too.”

“Yeah!” Naruto exclaimed in glee, throwing both fists up. He nearly lost his balance again, so Mayu and Sasuke had to grab onto him before he fell to the floor.

“You total moron,” the Uchiha muttered.

“Can we eat now?” Mayu asked.

“ _Hehe_ ,” Naruto grinned as he followed his teammates to the table.

“The bridge is nearing completion thank to you guys,” Tazuna remarked as the three took their places at the table.

“But please be careful not to overdo it,” the daughter advised as she placed food in front of each genin.

“Thanks for the food!”

Immediately, the three dug into their meal. Naruto and Sasuke were almost as fast as Mayu in eating. Perhaps they had learned to pace themselves after yesterday. They, however, had no hope of beating her. Within minutes, she had finished her meal. She had been ignoring the rest of the table’s occupants while she had eaten. It seemed the adults were in the middle of a conversation. She collected her dishes, excusing herself from the table. She then handed them off to Tazuna’s daughter in the kitchen. The woman had already been in the midst of cleaning.

“Thank you, Sakura-chan,” she said.

“You’re welcome, Tsunami-san,” Mayu replied.

After that exchange, she headed into the hallway she led to the stairs. Quickly, she went into the room she had been given for the mission. She had been sharing with Tazuna’s daughter. Naruto and Sasuke had shared a room with the little tyke that lived here. And Kakashi had been sharing with Tazuna himself. Before Tsunami came upstairs for bed, she wanted to try something. Mayu had been training like crazy with her chakra. Perhaps now she could form a simple jutsu on her own.

“Now… What were the hand seals…?” she asked herself as she shut the door behind her. The girl shut her eyes as she moved to the center of the room. Ram. Snake. Tiger. “Okay, let’s try it.” Honestly, she wanted to perform, at least, one jutsu before going back to her own body. Once she returned to her rightful body, she wouldn’t be able to do anything cool like she could here. Slowly, so utterly slow, Mayu performed the hand seals and concentrated. “ **Clone Jutsu** ,” she muttered, though she hadn’t needed to.

It had taken five tries for a clone to appear. Mayu sighed heavily, feeling the strain. However, she was quite proud of herself for making the clone appear. Even though the color scheme was… off. She blinked, and the clone blinked right back at her. Yes, it looked just like Sakura, but the hair seemed naturally dark—not dyed. The eyes were a deep blue instead of green. The skin was not pale, but a smooth brown. Mayu hummed lightly as she circled and examined her clone. She wondered if she had done something wrong. Perhaps clone techniques relied on how the user saw themselves. Because the shades of color were hers—how she was in her own body.

“What the heck is going on…?” Mayu questioned aloud. This seemed stranger than actually wearing Sakura’s body like her own. Before she could ponder further, there was a knock at the door. It couldn’t have taken so long for this to come about, right? Her temporary roommate couldn’t be finished yet. However, the muffled voice behind the door had belonged to Sasuke. “Ho-Hold on!” Mayu called out, a bit panicked. She shifted her attention back to the clone. “How do I get rid of you?” Just like that, it vanished. “… Okay…”

“Ma—I mean, Sakura, I’m coming in!” Sasuke told her, impatiently.

“No! I’m naked!” Mayu shouted, seeing the door about to open. Instantly, the door slammed shut. Grumbles came through and the girl smacked her forehead before moving to open the door. “Sorry, sorry—that was a reflex.” It really had been. She had some strange uncles. No, not like _that_. One was an arrogant doctor who only cared about the human body for medical purposes. The other had no sense of privacy. They both were loved and loved her, though. Best uncles. Sasuke merely narrowed his eyes before walking in. “Sure, come on in,” she said sarcastically, shutting the door.

By the time she turned around, Sasuke was already sitting down with his legs folded. His dark eyes looked her way, apparently expecting her to do the same. Refraining from an eye roll, Mayu sat opposite of him in the same position. His visit wasn’t unexpected. He had just made quite the discovery in the morning. Of course, he had questions. “Hey,” he began, placing his hands on his knees. “You’ve been with us since we’ve graduated, right? So where is Sakura?”

“Honestly, I haven’t really thought about it,” Mayu told him. “But I can only assume that she’s in my body.”

“So, it’s not like the Yamanaka jutsu?” Sasuke asked.

“I’m not even sure this is a jutsu,” she admitted. “Even if it were, I doubt any jutsu could last so long without being renewed somehow. It’s not like… like I’m wearing myself out every day. Essentially, this _is_ my body. For now.”

“Then where is your body? Which village are you from?”

“You’ve probably never heard of it,” Mayu said.

“Try me.”

“It’s called Tokyo.”

“ _Hm_. You’re right—never heard of it. It must be a pretty small village,” Sasuke remarked. Mayu shrugged. “Do they speak a different language in your village?”

“What?”

“Sometimes, I hear you, but I can’t understand what you’re saying,” Sasuke stated.

“ _Oh_ ,” Mayu murmured, a bit embarrassed. She felt the heat rising to her face. She hadn’t realized she had spoken differently in the time she had been here. “Yes, you could say that. In school, we’re taught how to speak a different language. My father likes to teach me another language, too—like a family tradition.” English and Español respectively. “Sometimes, I guess, I blurt it out.”

“Sounds like gibberish to me,” Sasuke said.

“I bet,” Mayu replied, shrugging again. “My… village… is pretty far from the Land of Fire. I guess we have different customs.”

“Are they that different from ours? You said that ninja isn’t a career option where you’re from.”

“We’re a bit different, you can say,” Mayu said. “After all, we’re not a ninja village, though there are fighting practices. Which is why I’m so awesome.” Sasuke scoffed. “I _am_ , bird brain! I’m one of the top people in my class.”

“So, your classmates are pretty weak, huh?”

“ _Hahaha_ —que, funny!” Mayu retorted. Sasuke smirked, pleased with himself. “You actually haven’t seen what I can do yet.” He raised a brow, yet said nothing. “Before I landed in Sakura’s body, I was strong. Since I’ve gotten used to this body, though, my speed, strength, and stamina has increased quite considerably. I’m thinking my abilities and Sakura’s skills are combined somehow. That’s one of the reasons I was able to kick Kakashi-sensei, and he’s a _jounin_.”

“The way you talk… it’s like you think you’re invincible,” Sasuke crossed his arms.

“ _Nah_ , I sincerely doubt that,” Mayu said. “I was just lamenting my lack of strength, wasn’t I? I’m confident in my skills—don’t get me wrong. I was quite the haughty one in my body. But here, being surrounded by ninja, whatever this combination is… it’s not enough. So, I have to get stronger. In all the time I have left. It’s humbling, this experience. Maybe I won’t take it for granted when I get back to my body.”

“… When you go back to your body—to your village—you think you’d be able to visit the Leaf?” Sasuke asked, voice hesitant. Mayu blinked, quite surprised by the question. “I mean-” He cleared his throat, averting his gaze elsewhere. It seemed as though his tongue slid against his front teeth. “I mean, you said you have come to care about Naruto and sensei… and… I just thought you’d want to see us again.”

“I would,” Mayu replied, slowly. “But it’d be impossible. Tokyo’s too far away.”

“Oh…”

“Yeah…”

“…” The two of them were quiet for a time. Then Sasuke cleared his throat again. “Well, in that case, I suppose… the Hokage doesn’t have to know about your presence as soon as we get back.” Startled, green eyes focused on the Uchiha. Her lips parted, but she was unable to form words. “You have to beat me first, right? Before taking on that man you want to kill. So… get stronger here first, fight me seriously, and then you can go.”

“R-Really, Sasuke…?”

“Truthfully, I want to fight you, too,” he replied. That brought a giant smile to Mayu’s face. Sasuke grimaced. “So just get stronger first,” he repeated. “I won’t say anything before that.”

“I’m gonna hug you now!”

“No. The hell. You’re not,” Sasuke calmly threatened.

Mayu snickered, still glad.


	8. Joining the Fight

The group of four stepped onto the bridge. Mayu examined the bridge, slightly impressed that it had been almost complete. She had believed that the bridge had been only half-way finished. Then again, she had not been paying too much attention. By herself, she had had nothing better to do other than daydream and perform imaginary concerts. Naruto, who had not budged from slumber for anything, had been left behind. Kakashi had thought it would be best for the blonde ninja to get more rest. Because of that, Team 7 was missing one person. Still, the jounin had assured their client that his life would be fine.

"W-What's this…?" Tazuna exclaimed, gaining Mayu’s attention. The girl looked up to see what the commotion had been about. To her surprise, the other bridge workers were on the ground. None of them moved, but some of them groaned, clearly in pain. "What happened?" Mayu did not speak, but she knew who had caused this. Momochi Zabuza had returned. Her body tensed, feeling the atmosphere become stifling. Fog appeared, covering the surrounding area.

"Sasuke, Sakura! Here it comes!" Kakashi told them. Already, Mayu and Sasuke had kunai ready in their hands. The two genin stood in front of Tazuna, prepared to defend or attack if need be. Mayu swallowed thickly, feeling her heart pound within her. This time, she would not stand by and let her teammates fight for her. She was stronger. She would not be on the sidelines.

"Sorry for the wait, Kakashi," Zabuza's voice greeted. "You're still with those brats..." Mayu frowned, narrowing her eyes. "He's shaking again—poor kid." Ah. Assumptions. She both hated and loved them. Hated because it was never good to feel underestimated. Loved because it would make victory even sweeter. Sasuke was not shaking in fear like last time. Mayu glanced in her teammate’s direction. She knew the shakes were from eagerness. Honestly, she felt something similar. Without warning, six clones of their enemy appeared. The clones had surrounded them.

"Do it, Sasuke," Kakashi ordered.

Mayu nearly let out a scoff as she, too, used her kunai to slash through the water clones. She was quicker than before, and it had allowed her to destroy half of the clones. Nearly coordinated, water fell and splashed against the ground. The girl let a smirk cross her face, brushing back her long braid. It had felt terrific. Sasuke returned to formation, having dealt with his half of the clones as well. He looked her way, sharing the smirk. Perhaps he hated and loved being underestimated, too.

"Oh…? They saw through the water clones," Zabuza's voice drew their attention again. "Your brats have grown." He, as well as Haku, stood before them. "It looks like two new rivals has appeared, _eh_ , Haku?"

"It does, indeed," the boy replied, voice devoid of a recognizable emotion.

"Sakura, I didn't tell you to attack," Kakashi stated.

“My apologies, sensei," Mayu said, not sounding very apologetic. "Since I’m _just_ as capable, I assumed _Sa_ \- was for me." Sasuke pressed his lips together, seemingly holding in his mirth. “Next time, I’ll _wait_ for the entire order to be given.” _Before disobedience_ , she finished in thought. “But I got them, right, sensei?”

"Yes.” The jounin admitted after a pause. He had probably been trying to figure out if his subordinate was messing with him. The answer was yes. How dare he only give Sasuke such an order? Perhaps next time, he would think about it. “Yes, you did.”

"Hey, Sasuke...” Mayu whispered to her teammate, not taking her eyes off the enemy. “Aren't you glad Zabuza changed his wardrobe? I sure am!"

"Don't pay attention to his clothes," Sasuke said with a shake of his head. Mayu merely giggled. “Idiot.”

"Oh my, it looks like my thinking was right on mark," Kakashi mentioned. “That masked one beside you. As we thought, he is not a real hunter-nin. Hiding behind that mask… Who does he think he is?"

" _Um_... Kakashi-sensei, you wear a mask, too!" Mayu stated. She nearly rolled her eyes. “Don’t throw rocks if your house is also made out of glass.”

"Oh..."

"I'll fight him," Sasuke said. His eyes narrowed. "Tricking us with that act… I hate bastards like that the most.”

"Are you trying to imply something, _huh_ , bird brain?"

"No, _cocoon_ , I am not," Sasuke retorted with a glare in her direction.

“Who the _hell_ -?!” Mayu shouted, irritated. Before she could finish, their opponent came at them. Spinning, he came fast, appearing like a mini tornado. Both genin sank down into their stances, but Sasuke shot off first.

"Sakura! Cover Tazuna and stay close to me," Kakashi instructed before Mayu could go charging in to help.

"What?!” she exclaimed, incredulous. “That’s gonna get you killed, sensei! Worry about _yourself_! Zabuza won’t be playing with you!”

"Rude child…” Kakashi snapped back. “Do as you’re told!”

“Not if what I’m told has you half-focused on your battle and half-focused on keeping me safe! Stay _close_ to you…? With a dangerous enemy? What kinda logic is that?!” Mayu exclaimed. She shot her free hand out, and then began backing away, forcing the bridge builder to stumble backwards. “Try not to be too big of a target, Tazuna-san,” she told him in a mutter.

The old man jerkily nodded his head in understanding. Once they were at a safe distance, Mayu withdrew her arm only to pull out another kunai. She would defend the client. For a time. Eventually, she would act, regardless of Kakashi’s order. The enemy would be too preoccupied to think about launching an attack on Tazuna. Mayu had directed him out of the action zone, so he would be safe. It was a calculated risk. Hopefully, Naruto would show up in a timely manner. Used effectively, his clones were quite useful.

For now, she watched her teammate and Haku clash repeatedly. Mayu was not too worried about her sensei. He could handle Zabuza, especially if he did not have to think about protecting anyone. Sasuke, though—this would be his first real battle. Kunai against needle, their weapons clang together. So far, it appeared evenly matched. The girl breathed in through her nose, eyes darting back and forth to capture their movements. There would be one chance to back up her teammate, and she did not want to miss it.

From her vantage point, Mayu noticed Haku performing seals with a single hand. " **Secret Jutsu: A Thousand Needles of Death**." Haku kicked at one of the many puddles on the bridge. The liquid lifted, forming into thin projectiles. Haku’s jutsu surrounded the two shinobi, halted in the air as though waiting for the next command. Sasuke did not move in retaliation, maybe not aware just yet. Or maybe he was concentrating on his chakra at the moment. He had better do something quickly. The water needles shifted, and then sliced through the air straight at the two. Just before the attack hit their target, both shinobi broke away from each other, dodging. Haku had jumped backwards. Sasuke had shot into the air.

“Nice…!” Mayu muttered at the effective maneuver. Sasuke held shuriken in his hand, swiping to throw them. His opponent saw the oncoming attack and hurriedly moved backwards. The three shuriken impaled the ground in a row, leading to Haku. Sasuke disappeared, only to reappear behind the masked ninja. He had always been fast, but utilizing his chakra efficiently made him faster. The two clashed again, but it seemed Sasuke had the upper hand. He threw a hidden kunai, forcing Haku to drop to the ground to evade it. However, it left him open to the strong kick. The enemy flew backwards away from Sasuke, who slowly lowered his leg.

"Thought you were quicker, huh?" he said, voice smug. "Tell me… What else were you wrong about?"

Mayu could not stop the eye roll.

"You made a big mistake insulting these ninja and calling them brats," Kakashi remarked. "That's guaranteed to bring out Sasuke's attitude… and Sakura's anger. He's the best young fighter of Leaf’s new graduating class. Sakura, here, is our sharpest mind."

“Don’t forget the _mad skills_ , sensei!” Mayu said, grin forming.

"And last, but not least, our number one, hyperactive, knuckle head ninja is Uzumaki Naruto," Kakashi finished.

Unconcerned, Zabuza began laughing. Instantly, Mayu’s good mood soured. "Haku…!” the man shouted to his progeny. The masked ninja visibly flinched. “If we keep going like this... _we'll_ be the victims instead of them," he said. "Get _on_ with it!"

"Right," Haku agreed, moving to stand. His silhouette, outlined in a bright blue, signaled the concentration of a massive amount of chakra. So massive that even the naked eye could see. "I'm sorry it's come to this.”

"The air... so cold…" Sasuke murmured.

Finally registering the beginnings of the attack, Mayu’s eyes expanded. This was it. Her chance to shift the tide. Quickly, she launched a single kunai towards Haku. However, the enemy leisurely dodged the blade. Mayu gritted her teeth. While she knew that she was not all that proficient with long-ranged attacks, she had hoped to halt Haku’s advanced bloodline from trapping her teammate. Damn. Maybe she should have practiced more with kunai. "Sasuke, move your butt!" she called. The birdbrain chose to remain where he stood. Refraining from groaning in an exaggerated loud manner, Mayu turned her attention to Tazuna. “Stay behind this!” she ordered, gesturing to the metal structure. It was crap cover, but it would have to do. The old bridge builder quickly did as told.

The water around the two shinobi began forming into ice. Without much thought for her own safety, Mayu ran towards them, bypassing Kakashi in a burst of speed. Vaguely, she was aware that her sensei called out to her, telling her not to continue her course of action. Too late now, though. She was already in the thick of it. Halting by Sasuke’s side, she kept her narrowed eyes trained on Haku, knowing that ice had formed behind them. “You absolute bird brain! Why didn’t you run?!” she scolded. “Can’t you tell this is a dangerous situation?!”

“And yet you’re right here next to me!” Sasuke retorted.

Before Mayu could give a bitter retort, quicker than a blink, a solid ice barrier trapped them in a dome like structure. “ **Secret Jutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors**.” The sheets of ice began glowing bright. Mayu nearly had to shield her eyes. Haku stepped backwards, his body merging with one of the so-called mirrors. Despite the cold, Mayu felt sweat form and slide down the side of her face. This had been the last thing she had wanted, but now she stood trapped as well. All around, replications of their enemy appeared in the sheets of ice. That was how it appeared, at least. Mayu, herself, knew that Haku merely traveled at near light-speed. She scoffed to herself. _Merely_. As though it were a trivial matter.

"They're mirrors!" Sasuke blurted, eyes darting around their prison. "But how?"

“This is not the time for your _What’s this? What’s this? There’s jutsu in the air! What’s this? What’s this? There’s Haku everywhere_!” Mayu shouted.

“It’s definitely not time for your gibberish singing either, Mayu!”

“I’m _panicking_ , okay?! It’s a defense mechanism!”

"Well…” Haku seemed to ignore the banter. “Shall I begin?"

"If you’re giving us a choice…”

"I should not have asked," Haku said with a shake of his head. “Forgive me, but I must do this. I'll show you my true speed."

That had been the only warning before pain shot through Mayu’s body. It had derived from one point in her arm. Horrible thoughts of doctor appointments filled her mind, and she immediately screamed in terror. She hated needles, but this pain had nothing on vaccine shots. Over her own screaming, she could hear Sasuke. Apparently, he had experienced the same type of attack. The pain only increased tenfold because other thin projectiles rained down on them, seemingly from all over.

Mayu had never experienced something like this. She continued to cry out, frozen in pain and fear. This was it. This is how she died. Trapped in a body not her own, in one of her favorite shows, done in by her near phobic fear. What had she done in a past life that caused such a horrific end such as this? Then without reason, the ranged attack stopped. Mayu fell to the ground on her back. Slowly, she cracked her eyes open. Through her teary vision, she noticed that the sleets of ice no longer held Haku. Why…? With effort, the girl sat up, gaze settling on the enemy. He had been on the ground outside the dome. Even masked, Mayu could sense his confusion as the older shinobi looked for the source of the disturbance. There was a gash in his mask now.

"Damn…” Sasuke managed. Mayu shifted her line of sight to her teammate. He seemed to be in the same state. Clothes torn and blood seeping through thin cuts. The sight of it made her cringe. She felt more tears sliding down her face. Then Sasuke spoke again, sounding both annoyed and relieved. “I only know one n-ninja that shows off l-l-like this."

"Uzumaki Naruto... is finally here!"

Mayu sharply turned her attention to where the voice had originated. Standing a few meters away from the ice dome, Naruto posed in some ridiculous fashion. He wore such a confident grin, not knowing exactly what he had come across. “That show off,” Mayu muttered, grimacing. However, she, too, felt the relief. The final member of Team 7 had arrived. Carefully, Mayu stood up, motioning for Sasuke to do the same. She gestured upward with her eyes. After a quick look up, Sasuke easily caught the message and nodded his head. The obnoxious entrance had distracted their enemy. She intended on using it to their advantage. Glaring, she clenched her teeth, and then wiped the tears from her cheeks. She liked Haku just fine, but she would see him pay for treating her like a pincushion.

"Now that _I'm_ here, everything will be fine," Naruto shouted. "Usually, in this type of situation in the story, the main character shows up and kicks some major bad guy-” Together, bursting with speed, Mayu and Sasuke jumped up through the two large gaps of the dome. Sasuke came down, leg poised to strike, but Haku managed to dodge. However, he could not stop the second attack. Mayu, too, had rushed at him. She shot her fist forward just as the shinobi had tilted forward to evade the kick. Her knuckles rammed hard into the porcelain mask. She felt it crack under the combined strength of herself and Sakura, and that brought a heap of satisfaction. Haku slammed into his own ice before crumbling to the ground. “… _Assss_ …” Naruto finished slowly. His shoulders sagged, clearly disappointed. “Come on, guys! I rehearsed that and everything!”

“Shut up,” Sasuke told him. “You’re late. And you talk too much.”

“While you were planning that performance, I _hope_ you made a clone to protect Tazuna-san!” Mayu told him.

“Of course I did, Sakura-chan! I made _two_! I’m not an idiot!” Both Mayu and Sasuke must have given dubious looks because Naruto’s expression shifted to irritation. “I’m literally here in the nick of time and you guys are so ungrateful!”

Suddenly, Mayu flinched, and then sharply turned. Three shuriken headed straight for her. Quickly, she pulled another kunai from her leg holster. Gripping the hilt, she maneuvered the blade to deflect each shuriken. The weapons dropped to the ground. She frowned, turning her attention to the one that had thrown the deadly weapons. Momochi Zabuza. So focused on getting at Haku that she had completely forgotten about him. “ _Uh_ … sensei…! Could have died just now! You couldn’t stop him from throwing those even though you’re standing right next to him?!” Mayu complained. “And you wanted me to stay close to _you_?! _Ha_! _Ha_! _Ha_!” Her sarcastic laugh had caused Kakashi to stare deadpan at his subordinate.

“Zabuza-sama…” Haku’s steady voice caught everyone’s attention. The shinobi slowly rose from the ground. His mask had splintered right down the middle. One half fell to the ground, partially revealing the face of their enemy. Sasuke audibly gasped, recognizing him. After all, he was the same person they had crossed paths with before. “Please do not interfere. Allow me to handle these kids and fight this battle my way.” The other half fell to the ground as well.

“You’re naïve… as usual, Haku,” Zabuza remarked. “You’re so soft.” Haku feebly apologized. “Fine. No interference from either side. Right, Kakashi? You know what will happen if you move.” The missing-nin glanced behind Kakashi, obviously referring to Tazuna. Even under the protection of two Naruto clones, the possibility of Zabuza killing their client was high.

“Hey!” Naruto blurted, sounding confused. He pointed a finger at Haku. “You’re that pretty-!” He immediately cut himself off and began stammering incoherently. Mayu tried not to snicker because her blond teammate found Haku attractive.

“So, you have a thing for brunettes, do you?” she teased playfully.

“Sh-Sh-Shut up, Sakura-chan!” Face flushed, he glared at Haku. “I can’t believe you’re Zabuza’s friend! How dare you trick us?!”

“Sorry,” Haku said. “Tricking your opponent is the true art of ninja. Don’t hate me for it, Naruto-kun.”

“He is right,” Mayu agreed. “The best trickster wins. And no matter how pretty your opponent is, they are still your opponent in the end.” Naruto glowered, obviously picking up the slight tease in Mayu’s words. “Haku-san…” The older shinobi turned dark brown eyes her way. “You’re not dealing with a broken force anymore. You now stand against a unified team. Should you underestimate us… you’re gonna regret it.”

“Perhaps I will,” Haku replied, somewhat casually. “Truthfully, I do not wish to fight you—none of you. I would very much like it if you would just stand down. But… it looks like that’s not going to happen. Fine then. Let’s finish this.” The older shinobi lifted his hand, three senbon in between his fingers.

“Naruto! Copies!” Mayu instructed.

“Copies!” Naruto confirmed, hands coming together in a seal. “ **Shadow Clone Jutsu**!” Simultaneously, clones popped into existence, shrouded in smoke. The smoke cleared, revealing the clones. Mayu slid her hand into her weapon’s pouch, now hidden amongst copies of her teammate. Truthfully, there was not a whole lot she could bring to this fight in terms of jutsu. But… She had her own tricks she had been slowly perfecting. A smirk touched her face, and then she shifted her foot, preparing to make her move. She needed to move quickly. There was a very small window of opportunity before her teammates attacked.

Speed. Speed. Speed. It became a mantra in her head as the kunoichi weaved through the ocean of clones. Her hands touched various parts, mostly the limbs or other places that would not be visible… until it was too late, of course. The touches were feather light. Not a one noticed the taps. Finally, Mayu came to a halt, settling herself right next to Sasuke. He looked her way out of the corner of his eye, a curious glance. “You’re fast…” he remarked, keeping his voice steady.

“The training wasn’t only for _you_ ,” Mayu retorted. She then gave an impish wink, causing the Uchiha to roll his eyes and completely focus on the enemy. “Shall we go off and Ninja in the night?”

“It’s morning,” Sasuke said, flatly. Mayu stopped herself from lashing out in violence. Instead, she took a deep breath to calm herself. “But let’s go off then.”

Taking it as a signal, Mayu sprung forward as if the ground was her spring. Sasuke, by her side, did the same. They ran pass the clones, launching mirroring attacks on Haku. The enemy whirled around to block and evade them. However, once the two got their momentum going, Haku was hard-pressed to keep them at bay. It then turned into a trading of blows. Sasuke feigned a kick, but then swiftly shifted and backhanded Haku. The older shinobi recovered and made a slash at Mayu with a single senbon. The kunoichi reared back, just managing to dodge. Her foot lifted, catching Haku’s chin. He returned the blow with a kick to the stomach. The three went at it, shedding blood and sweat in their exertions.

Absolutely _riveting_. Mayu tried so hard to keep the grin from her face, but she could not help it. Perhaps she should not be thinking such thoughts, being in a life or death situation and all, but there was something quite exciting about pushing herself to the limit. Sure, it was not her body—her own limit—but it still felt good. She would never have an opponent like this back home. And now that she did not have to worry about those pesky transportation ice sheets, she could battle Haku to her heart’s content. She and Sasuke could match his speed at this level. Attacking and countering. Hell, in this body, she could push herself pass Haku’s current speed. After all, she had already done it without anyone’s knowledge. Mayu would enjoy this. Well, at least, until…

“ _Argh_! I can’t take it anymore!” Naruto shouted from the sidelines. “I want some action, too!” His many clones had been fidgeting the longer the series of bouts went on. Apparently, the blond shinobi had reached his breaking point. “Let me in!” Two clones ran towards Haku, battle cries and fists at the ready. Despite his best efforts, Naruto still needed training with his chakra control. He was not nearly as quick enough, but his speed gave Mayu time to grab onto Sasuke’s collar and leap backwards. Her teammate, having no choice but to follow, flipped backwards, landing on top the sheet of ice on top of the dome.

“What are you-?” he began.

“Here comes the-!”

**_BOOM_ **

Sasuke sharply turned his head back to the would-be clash. Mayu, who had not taken her eyes off her opponent, had seen it all. The clones had attempted an attacked, but Haku had quickly destroyed them by use of the senbon. The bodies popped out of existence in the normal fashion. However, the clones’ destruction triggered the explosive tags. The two blasts had knocked Haku back, slamming him against the ground. “What did you do?” Sasuke questioned, staring at the damage.

“I put tags on Naruto’s clones,” Mayu replied, nonchalantly. The clones, of course, began freaking out and looking for the tags. Even the real Naruto started shouting in fright as he circled in place, trying to spot a tag. Mayu refrained from rolling her eyes. “Not you, you digital dummy!” she called over to her blond teammate. Naruto’s cheeks flushed as he stopped moving. The kunoichi jerked her head, indicating that he should be by her side. Naruto quickly moved, jumping on top of the ice dome next to his teammates. By this time, Haku slowly sat up, brown eyes looking their way. “I knew we had to have an advantage against his speed. Bombs that can attack seemed to be the answer. He can defend, but attacking could mean the end for him.”

“You really are mad,” Sasuke remarked.

“You say the nicest things,” Mayu replied, sarcastically. Haku grimaced as he stood to his full height. His eyes darted around, examining each clone. Perhaps he thought that if he could locate the tags, tear them off, and dispose of them before they triggered, then the tags would not matter. Before he came up with an idea of escape, it needed to end. The clones finally stopped freaking out about the tags and went at Haku. As predicted, the older shinobi made no moves to destroy more clones. His movements were more cautious and even slowed. It could not go on, though. Eventually, Haku would figure out how to get away unscathed. “Sasuke,” Mayu caught her dark-haired teammate’s attention. The kunoichi lifted a hand, pointing a finger upward. “Light ‘em up.”

Sasuke seemed to understand instantly because he smirked in acknowledgement. He jumped up, using his chakra to propel him higher. Then he formed hand seals, preparing his clan’s signature jutsu. Staring down at his targets, Sasuke opened his mouth. “ **Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu**!” Chakra and fire spewed from the Uchiha’s mouth. It was not necessarily a ball of fire—more like a continuous flamethrower—but it got the job done. The flames completely enveloped every clone on the ground, including their opponent. Nowhere to go, Haku had no choice but to face the full brunt of the attack, and the follow up detonations.

The bridge shook under the devastating power of the simultaneous blasts and fire. Mayu crossed her arms in front of her face, shielding herself from the strong wind and heat. Fortunately, the ice dome had not been in range of the combo attack. Mayu felt a presence beside her. She cracked her eyes open and turned. Sasuke had returned and was now surveying the damage. Not that there was much to survey. The smoke and mist shrouded the target area.

“Did we get him?” Naruto muttered, squinting.

“Hey, you _brats_! Don’t destroy my bridge!” Tazuna’s voice came from far off.

Mayu pressed her lips together and rolled her eyes. She had told that bridge builder not to make himself a target. If he got himself killed by being a loudmouth… Fortunately, the man still had clones protecting him. Mayu returned her attention back to where their opponent had been standing when the flames had rained down on him. Eventually, the smoked cleared enough to see the damage. Unfortunately, thick blocks of ice surrounded Haku. Four around him and one on top. He had avoided maximum damage because of his advanced bloodline. Mayu scowled. Still, she could see his tattered clothing and bruised skin. He had taken a hit. Somewhat.

“Impossible…” Haku muttered. “How was it possible for you to lay such a trap? I should have been able to track your movements. You should not have been able to-”

“Haku-san, you underestimated us from the beginning,” Mayu called to him. “It is your own fault.”

For a moment, Haku did not response. Then the ice melted into water. “I will not make the same mistake again,” he announced. He brought up his hands in a dog seal. “I will kill the kindness in my heart and become a true shinobi.” Mayu narrowed her eyes, bracing her body for what may come. However, she did not expect the surface beneath her to liquefy. Gasping, she, along with her teammates, fell through and landed hard against the cement inside the dome. Before, any of them could react, the dome of ice merged, creating a near airtight structure. No way to fit through the cracks. “Well, then…” Haku stepped into the ice, and once again used it as reflecting mirrors of his image. “It seems _you_ have underestimated me. You are no match for my max speed.”

It was right. Mayu had not stopped to think that Haku could easily control the very structure of the dome. Hell, if it were not for his ninja training, he might pass for a waterbender. Mayu scowled again, mentally beating herself up. Trapped again, but with no way out this time. Kakashi would not be able to help from his position. Eventually, Zabuza would make his move, so their sensei would be preoccupied. She had miscalculated, and now her team was at the ice user’s mercy. Again. Her skills, combined with this body, would be useless inside the ice.

Out of the frying pan.

Into the tundra.


	9. Backed Into a Corner

Teeth chattering, Mayu slowly stood. In an effort to ward off the cold, she wrapped her arms around her. However, the cold had not been the only reason for the trembles. The absolute dread of having to face Haku’s brutal attacks a second time would only make her fear of bees more permanent. The kunoichi grit her teeth, gaze uselessly attempting to find some indication of where their enemy hid in plain sight. These eyes could not hope to track the older shinobi down, though. Mayu did not see any way out of this predicament. Not at the moment. Not when she was a jumbled mess of increasing panic.

“Ma- Sakura, any ideas?” Sasuke questioned. Mayu blinked, and then turned startled eyes to her teammate. Both he and Naruto looked back at her expectedly. It was very different from when they had first started out. Before, they had practically raced away from her and potential strategies as a team. Mayu felt a rush of delight now that they were looking to her for answers. Then immediately deflated because she had none.

Haku had trapped them again. More effectively than before. No hope of distraction from the outside. No way to squeeze through the nearly nonexistent gaps. No way to keep up with the opposing speed. The genin of Team 7 were pinned between cement and ice. With their current skills, the situation seemed impossible to overcome. Haku had shown a manipulation of ice that he had not shown in the anime. He had become more dangerous than what Mayu had come to expect. And she might have been the reason for that simply because she had made herself a target. She had joined a fight this body had not meant to be a part of.

“Not… right now,” Mayu admitted. Sasuke pressed his lips together, and Naruto frowned slightly. “I need a bit of time to… assess. Maybe.” Honestly, she did not have a lot of time before Haku truly killed the kindness in his heart. In that time, she needed to figure a way out of this situation. Still, she might not be able to figure out anything even if she had all the time in the world. As it stood, they were just waiting for the attack.

“Alright then,” Sasuke replied. He stood up and narrowed his eyes on one mirror in particular. “I’ll just bust these mirrors.” Mayu bit her lip, already knowing what he had planned to do. Her teammate raced through hand seals as Naruto questioned his motive. “These mirrors are made of ice, so…” The Uchiha sucked in a gulp of air. “ **Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu**!” Unlike before, the fire and charka actually looked like a large ball. It erupted and headed straight towards the mirrors in front of the team. It collided with more than a few mirrors. Ice and fire created steam upon impact. However, when the attack eventually dissipated, the ice mirrors remained intact. Haku seemed unperturbed, expression remaining unimpressed.

“It didn’t do anything at all!” Naruto complained, also unimpressed by the effort.

“You cannot melt this ice with fire of that power level,” Haku told him. Sasuke clenched his teeth, glaring hard at the ice user.

“Well… It’s a bit warmer in here,” Mayu remarked. It only made her teammate redirect his glare on her. The kunoichi pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes right back. If they made it out of this alive, she was going to beat the glare out of him. Their slight glaring match ended prematurely, though. Each mirror glowed, signaling the beginning of retaliation. Haku lifted his arm, showing senbon. Mayu swallowed hard, bracing herself for the pain. She did not wait long for it. Not seeing it coming, she still felt the strikes to her skin. She screamed out, along with her teammates. The quickened attack knocked her onto her back before it abruptly ended.

“Damn! Where is he attacking from?!” Naruto demanded as he sat up. “Is he using clones?!” The blond stood up, hastily looking around. Mayu did not attempt to do the same. It was of no use. “Where’s the real one?!”

“Trying to follow me with your eyes is useless,” Haku stated. “You will never be able to catch me.”

“We’ll see about that!” Naruto exclaimed, unwilling to give up. His hands came together, forming a hand seal. “ **Shadow Clone Jutsu**!”

“No, don’t!” Sasuke warned, but it came too late. Naruto had created enough clones to go after each mirror. Each clone shouted out their battle cries as they rushed at their respective ice sheets. Mayu sat up, hoping to catch a glimpse. Her teammate was just as loud and obnoxious in his attacks, but it would force Haku to attack him first. Maybe that would be the time she needed.

“I’ll find the real one by crushing them all!” Naruto proclaimed. However, before fists could meet ice, the clones popped out of existence. Mayu’s eyes widened, realizing that she could not even see a blur as she had when she had watched the show. She could not see Haku at all. One by one, the clones were destroyed, seemingly of their own volition. Finally, only the real Naruto came crashing down beside Mayu and Sasuke. He groaned lightly, aching from the counter.

“This jutsu uses the mirrors’ reflections to transport me,” Haku informed. “From my point of view, you guys seem to be moving in slow motion.”

“Damn it! So what?!” Naruto shouted, sitting up again. “I can’t die here! I have a dream I must fulfill… The dream to have everyone acknowledge my strength! And the dream to become Hokage!”

Mayu looked towards her teammate. Pensive, she stared at him. She had heard it before. Naruto often spouted dreams of becoming Hokage. Couldn’t go an entire season without it. However, hearing it now was a bit different. She had doubted herself. Haku had slashed her confidence just as he had her skin. But she could not give up now. Not when it had practically been her fault that things had become more dangerous. Besides, she had not gotten to meet Gaara yet. Or Lee. She couldn’t let it end here, especially for these two bozos she called teammates.

"He's right…! We all have dreams!" Mayu muttered, struggling to stand. The ache was everywhere, but she had managed. "Our dreams—our goals—won’t end here! Not because of _you_!"

“Dream…?” Haku repeated in a whisper. He sighed lightly, a frown tugging at his lips. “Becoming a true shinobi has always been difficult for me… If possible, I do not want to have to kill you. Nor do I want you to kill me. However, if you come at me… I will become a true shinobi this time. This bridge is the place where we fight… to connect our dreams. Me, for my dream, and you, for your dreams. Please do not hate me.”

**That's a bit hard to do… _since you're throwing very sharp needles at me_!**

"I want to protect someone precious to me... to work for that person, to fight for that person, to make that person's dream come true," Haku continued, unaware of Mayu’s increasing ire. "That is my dream. For that, I can become a shinobi. I _will_ kill you!" he finished, holding up three needles. For some reason, Haku’s words caused her teammates to smirk. She looked back at them, baffled by their reaction to the threat on their lives. The kunoichi mentally shook her head. The rules of this world would never cease to confound her. Sure, she liked to fight just as much as the next person, but dangerous people threatening to _kill_ her would never invoke a positive reaction.

Mayu refrained from rolling her eyes, incredulous. Instead, she pulled a kunai from her leg holster—the last one, she felt. She noticed Haku dart his eyes in her direction, but she paid no mind for now. Actually launching an attack on the older shinobi would prove fruitless. She would need to change tactics. So, if tracking with eyes had been useless, then…

“Just because I screwed up the first time doesn’t mean I’m going to quit!” Naruto yelled out, again, forcing the attention on himself. “I’ll try as many times as I need to!” Again, he formed his favorite hand seal. “ **Shadow Clone Jutsu**!” Again, multiple clones popped out of clouds of smoke.

Mayu breathed in deeply as Sasuke shouted for Naruto to stop his attack. She shut her eyes, and everything stilled around her. With her sight cut off, she felt her other senses flare. She felt the shift in the air as the clones’ shouts abruptly cut off. Her ears and nostrils twitched. This felt a bit familiar. Her mind remembered this tactic. If her eyes did not work, then she had to rely on her other senses. Again, one by one, the clones disappeared, leaving only the three of Team 7. Here it comes… Mayu felt the first slash on her skin, and abruptly changed the movement of her arms. The clang of senbon against kunai caused her to open her eyes. The hand of her enemy shook, as did her own, as the two stared each other down. Haku’s lips parted and his eyebrows rose, clearly taken aback that his attack had been halted.

Fortunately, her teammate did not waste time gawking. Sasuke twisted his body, lifting and swinging his leg. His foot landed a solid hit against Haku. The older shinobi flew backwards, smacking against one of the ice mirrors. “You got him!” Naruto praised loudly. Unfortunately, Haku quickly retreated into a mirror, causing the blond to groan in disappointment.

“You got him,” Sasuke repeated, moving to stand near Mayu. “He is slower than the first time, but you were able to counter his moves.” Now that he mentioned it, Haku had seemed slower in his pace. She still had not been able to see his movements, but it had been a slight difference in the feel of the attack. Perhaps the team’s combined efforts had not been so much in vain. The older shinobi had been weakened from their previous efforts, after all. “Another effect of your mad skills?” Mayu smirked.

“Just a little something, something,” she said. Truthfully, her sensei back home had taught her to ward off attacks in the dark. Her grandmother, on her mother’s side of the family, had similar, albeit peculiar, methods. She had not believed she would ever have to use such tactics, especially against speed. “I can’t see him, so I stopped trying to. Don’t go doing the same, Sasuke. Your eyes can be better than ours.” The Uchiha nodded his head. “Maybe we can win this together.” The distraction, the defense, and the attack. Together, they could take Haku out.

“How…?” the older shinobi murmured. “It should not be possible for anyone to follow my movements in here. It must have been a coincidence.”

“It’s simple, Haku-san. We were trained by the best,” Mayu told him. “So, bow down like the rest!” To her utter surprise, both Naruto and Sasuke finished the phrase in unison with her. Of course, Naruto had been louder, but Sasuke had made his voice known as well. Huh. Apparently, she really had been on this team long enough for that mantra to stick. Granny Theresa, the one who had taught her the phrase, had said that it sounded better in English, though. Still, it did the trick of taunting. Haku visibly frowned before his mirrors began glowing.

“ **Shadow Clone Jutsu**!” Naruto exclaimed. Mayu shut her eyes again and shifted her feet. Multiple footsteps hit the ground, indicating the clones had formed. However, there was also a single foot slamming against the cement. The clones jumped up and Sasuke moved as well. The air around them shifted again. Mayu’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Haku was not destroying clones first. His single target was Sasuke. Made sense, considering he was essentially their sword in this situation. But Sasuke was not defenseless. His foot shifted, and he met Haku head on. It was a crazy rush between them. Oh. Sasuke could keep up. They had managed to slow Haku down just enough for it, after all.

Upon realizing close combat was not working, Haku sprung away from Sasuke. Mayu cracked her eyes open, witnessing the older shinobi retreat into the safety of his ice. Despite his expression remaining stoic, Haku visibly trembled with the exertion. A line of blood slipped from his mouth to his chin. However slight it was, it was proof that he had been harmed. “I got him. I’m getting the timing down,” Sasuke announced.

“Nice!” Mayu congratulated. Her dark-haired teammate smirked. “Next time, _burn_ him.” The smirk, to her surprise, widened as he turned his eyes to her. He nodded in agreement, staring with a look she could not decipher now. She would think about it later, maybe, but right now, she had to focus on surviving this mission. Mayu shifted her attention back to their enemy, shutting her eyes and wondering what his next move would be. Haku chose a long-ranged attack. She could not see it, but she got a feel of the thin projectiles flying, heading towards Naruto and his clones. “No…!” Mayu exclaimed.

Of course, he would go after the slowest of them—their perfect distraction. Sasuke quickly moved, grabbing the kunai from Mayu’s hand. She opened her eyes, watching her teammate halt in front of the real Naruto just as his clones forcibly disappeared courtesy of the senbon needs that hit various vital points. He deflected the oncoming needles, but missed one. It struck him in the shoulder. He shouted in pain, stumbling backwards into Naruto. Haku proved to be too smart. He had realized that attacking the distraction would turn Naruto into his advantage instead of theirs. Mayu felt two senbon pierce and sink deep right above her knee.

She barely managed to dodge the needles aimed at her chest by springing backwards by use of her uninjured leg. Upon standing upright again, she attempted to survey the situation. Naruto was trying to yank the needle out of Sasuke, but the Uchiha swiped out him to stop his advancements. Haku did not seem to be in any of the mirrors, though. Crap. Where had the older shinobi gone? Gritting her teeth, Mayu shut her eyes again. What she had not expected was for arms to encase her torso from behind. Her eyes shot open and she sharply turned her head, seeing Haku’s face mere centimeters from her own. He had slipped out of the ice sheet behind her. Impassive as ever, he pulled her backwards, molding their bodies into the ice.

Then he released her, leaving her stuck, limbs uselessly flailing. The rest of her body was held tightly by ice. Thankfully, her face had not been confined to the ice, but as it stood, she had become immobile. Useless. Vulnerable. Mayu would have shouted in frustration if she had not already started violently shivering. The ice was colder than normal ice. She was already becoming numb. Or perhaps the numbness came from the senbon needles sticking out of her. Despite her efforts, she still had become a pincushion again. “Sakura-chan!” Naruto shouted, noticing her sudden predicament. Sasuke, too, looked her way, expression mirroring her frustration perfectly.

“What will do you now?” Haku’s voice echoed. Her teammates whirled around to face him. The enemy had appeared opposite of her, inside his mirror. “I have effectively crippled your unified team. You have become a broken force once again. I do not intend for you to become one a second time.” Mayu’s eyes widened and her lips parted. Haku had always sounded serious, but that… She actually felt a chill from that threat. Or maybe it had just been the ice. Either way, this was _not_ good. Had Haku truly killed the kindness in his heart now? _Crap_. “Shall we see whose dream will survive this bridge?”

Mayu watched as Haku launched senbon at her teammates. Sasuke ripped a senbon from his body and used both senbon and kunai to deflect the oncoming needles from impaling himself and Naruto. However, the needles then came for Mayu. Sasuke hastily made his way over, jumping up to protect her from the senbon. Then, of course, Haku went after Naruto again. Sasuke rushed towards his other teammate, blocking. This went on a few times. Mayu realized then that Haku wanted to sap Sasuke’s stamina. Sasuke was already panting over the effort. For a few moments, Haku gave him reprieve. But he could not continue going back and forth.

“You can’t keep doing this, Sasuke!” Mayu exclaimed.

“Don’t you think I know that?!” he retorted, sharply turning to face her. “But what else am I supposed to _do_?!”

“Protect yourself and the future Hokage!” Mayu shouted. Both of her teammates stared at her. Naruto’s eyes noticeably widened, lips parting, clearly surprised. Sasuke’s glare softened somewhat. “You are the Leaf’s last Uchiha. He is our future. Neither of your dreams can die here!” The kunoichi bit her lower lip. Compared to their dreams… hers were not as noteworthy. In the grand scheme of things, _she_ did not matter. Naruto and Sasuke, however, were meant for greater things. Mayu still felt that she had been partially responsible for the precarious turn of events. “Besides, it’s not only the strength and speed, Sasuke.” The Uchiha furrowed his brow. “I can endure,” she stated, hoping he would understand. “So, don’t focus on me.”

“… No. No way, Sakura-chan!” Naruto yelled out, nearly glaring. “I’m not gonna let your dream die either! What kinda Hokage would I be if I let that happen?”

“Wh-What?!” Mayu screeched, partially annoyed.

“He means…” Sasuke began, catching her attention. He, too, glared at her. “Shut up and let us protect you!” Mayu clamped her mouth shut, honestly surprised. It was not often that Uchiha Sasuke raised his voice, but in this instance, he had. “Don’t discard _your_ dream _just cause_!” Mayu felt a stinging in her eye, overwhelmingly touched by her teammates’ words. Never in her life had she ever believed something like this could happen between them. Originally, she had been a fan—a rather enthusiastic one. And now, she was closer to… to an extended family. Inside her mouth, her teeth clenched together. She may have had a fleeting thought before, but now the thought burned in her mind clear as day. They were no longer simply fictional characters. They were people she had come to care deeply for. Apparently, they had come to care for her, too.

“If… If we make it out alive, I’m gonna hug the crap outta both of you!” Mayu declared, unashamed. It had only been a short while ago that she had silently vowed to beat the glare out of him. Maybe she could substitute one vow for another…? Nah, birdbrain deserved both. The two shinobi appeared stunned by the declaration, both sporting sudden redness in their cheeks. While Naruto grinned awkwardly, Sasuke appeared to be so done with her crap.

“You and your _hugging_ ,” he muttered, seemingly refraining from rolling his eyes. Mayu did not stop her eye roll at all. Sasuke had sounded sorely put out by the notion of hugging. “We’re all getting out of here. No more of this defensive stuff. Naruto, we’re going on the offense!” The blond shouted in agreement.

“Will you be able to…?” Haku’s question came with mocking undertones.

“ **Shadow Clone Jutsu**!”

More clones of Naruto appeared, surrounding both shinobi, and noticeably crowding in front of Mayu. The clones exclaimed and jeered, showing bravado of their apparent oncoming victory. “It makes no difference how many times you summon. The result will be the same,” Haku said. The mirrors glowed, signaling the next attack. Mayu shut her eyes, but it did little to feel for Haku’s movements. The ice that encased her subdued her senses, and even if it had not, she still would not be able to counter. A sitting duck, as it were. Mayu opened her eyes again, though it would not do much good in this next clash.

Haku attacked again, slipping out of the ice for his quickened melee attack. Like before, clones disappeared, seemingly at random, having been struck by a near invisible attack. It would end up the same as before, or so Mayu thought. To her utter surprise, the attack halted, and clones stopped disappearing in smoke. She gasped loudly once her eyes focused on the cause of the intermission. One of the clones had managed to grab onto Haku. Fingers, stopping the senbon from reaching its target, had bound the older shinobi’s wrist. “What?!” Mayu blurted, stunned. She had not seen it herself, but Naruto must have moved as fast Haku to accomplish the block. Then all the clones were moving, so quickly that she could not keep up. The remaining clones surrounded Haku, grabbing ahold and trapping him in place.

Naruto was _fast_. He was as fast as Sasuke. More importantly, fast enough to keep up with Haku. The real Naruto grinned widely giving thumbs up. That trickster…! He had fooled them all. Her blond teammate had taken the advice Mayu had freely given, utilizing it effectively in combat. After, of course, he had led everyone to think otherwise. The biggest trickster wins, indeed. Uzumaki Naruto was _magnificent_. Sasuke did not waste any more time. He raced through hand seals, and then unleased his clan’s signature jutsu. “ **Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu**!” Once again, fire spewed from his mouth, heading straight for the clones and Haku. The fire consumed them all. The blast of air erupted harshly upon collision, forcing Mayu to turn her head and squeeze her eyes shut. It had not been the same blast as before, but in close quarters, the wind, fire, chakra, and mist left her breathless.

Once the wind died, Mayu coughed out several times until she felt the ache. It seemed the only way to get her breathing under control. Once steady, and feeling her skin grow cold again, she turned her head and slowly cracked her eyes open. There was still a swirling vapor, but she could make out Haku’s shape. He stood alone, the clones around him having had been destroyed. Finally, she could see him clearly. He was visibly worn-down. And scorched. His hair had been singed at ends. The fire had burned holes right through his clothes as well, blackening them and weakening the fabric. Pink blemishes meant that the fire had gotten to his skin as well. First degree, perhaps even second-degree.

Mayu narrowed her eyes as she continued to examine Haku. Fire jutsu was hotter than normal fire because of chakra enhancement. If the attack had hit him dead on, then the older shinobi would have been burnt to a crisp. Burnt to ashes, in fact. Yet he remained upright, damaged by her teammate’s efforts. Haku clenched his teeth, gaze unfocused. Though, if Mayu had to guess, she would say that he appeared stricken. And then something in his eyes changed. She had seen it before. A hobby of hers had been to find and pet stray cats. Some felines, the feral ones, did not like her approach, and viciously attacked after she had managed to corner them. Now, she knew better.

Haku moved then. It had been a slight shift, but it made the sweat pouring down his face more visible. Wait… That was not sweat. The liquid dripped off his skin like flowing water. Like water that had been melted. Could it have been some type of… armor? That would explain how he had avoided the full attack, but Mayu had not seen that ability before. Then Haku lifted his hand, and with it, preformed hand seals. The older shinobi opened his mouth, voice coming out dreadfully calm. “ **Certain-Kill Ice Spears**.” The attack came from behind Haku. Quicker than the shift of her eyes, giant ice spears shot towards her teammates. She could not warn them in time, let alone gasp in surprise.

Mayu could only see the result. Sasuke had twisted and maneuvered his body to evade the spikes, though he had not dodged completely. Blood slid from his arms and legs—deep gashes in his skin. Naruto, too, had managed to avoid most of the attack. Most of it. One ice spear and pierced right through his shoulder, and straight out the back. His blood flowed so heavily that it dripped with an echoing splash on the cement ground. “N-Naruto…!” Sasuke called, still in his twisted position. He tilted his head as much as he could to look in Naruto’s direction. The blond did not respond. In fact, his body slackened. Mayu stared, eyes wide, in absolute horror. Her throat constricted so much that it ached.

The ice spears retracted, causing the two shinobi to fall. Sasuke gasped in pain as he hit the ground. Naruto did no such thing. The injury looked bad. Blood soaked through his orange jacket. Mayu sucked in a breath, eyes trained on Naruto’s motionless form. This was not supposed to happen. Haku was not supposed to show any of these capabilities. She would have planned for them if he had. All of this had taken her by surprise. And Naruto and Sasuke had suffered for it. “N-N-Naruto…?” Mayu croaked, hoping that her voice would reach him. There was no response. A stinging in her eye changed into an overflow of tears. She nearly choked on another attempt at his name.

Mayu squeezed her eyes shut, feeling herself tremble. This was her fault. If she hadn’t interfered with the story, none of this would have taken place. They were all going to die here on this bridge because she had drawn out the true shinobi of their opponent. In the end, her presence had been a blight on her teammates’ path. She had been too weak. Too useless. Accept to get them all killed. Mayu clenched her teeth so hard, shooting pain throughout her body. A body that did not belong to her. She shakily breathed in, and then screamed aloud. Thirteen-year-olds should not experience this type of stress, but here she was.

Then the world around her shattered like glass.

She no longer felt the prison of ice around her. In fact, she did not seem to be on the bridge anymore. Naruto and Sasuke had gone. And so had their enemy. In this bright void, she felt warmth. Her body no longer felt the aches. There was no exhaustion or tears. It felt serene, and she was calm, no longer screaming out her guilt and trauma.

“Blood of my kindred,” a soft voice caught Mayu’s attention. The girl turned around, eyes settling on a woman. Fair in complexion and hair, the woman dressed in a traditional white kimono, decorated by green, blue, and gold flowers. The sash, which looked more like a corset, was black, with golden twigs for the printed design. The kimono hung off the woman’s pale shoulders, revealing more than a little skin, plus cleavage. Her painted pink lips frowned as her light green eyes watched her through long eyelashes. Pretty lady, Mayu decided. “It is not yet your time to awaken.”

“Awaken…?” Mayu repeated, confused.

“Not yet,” the woman said with a shake of her head. Her platinum blond hair sway, looking as though it might come undone from its elaborate hairstyle. “However, I cannot let this go on. I will open your mind, just a bit. It is our strongest weapon, you see.” The woman lifted her finger, stretching her arm so that the tip reached Mayu’s forehead. “So, go forth, and make your ancestors proud.” The girl tilted her head up, stretching her neck.

Eyes wide, she let the power engulf her.

0-0


	10. The Secret of Ishikari

Mayu was screaming. The sound of it pierced Sasuke’s ears and traveled straight to his gut. Had she been struck, too—like Naruto? It would not have been a surprise. She had never seriously gotten hurt before. None of them had. The needle strikes were nothing compared to their enemy’s latest attack. Sasuke grimaced, prying his eyes open. However, the position of his body made it hard to check his surroundings. The ice had slid across skin because he had not been quick enough. He was bleeding, and near paralyzed. It was something he had felt previously. And like before, he could not do a thing. Unbidden, thoughts of his brother came to mind. He gnashed his teeth. No. He could not be that same scared little boy. He had to do something. He had to get them all out of this. Somehow.

Then the screaming abruptly cut off. Sasuke felt his airway constrict, nearly choking because of it. Struggling hard, the shinobi lifted his head. His limbs trembled, but he managed to rise from the ground, palms and knees digging into the concrete. His teammate, still encased in ice, had gone slack. From his vantage point, Sasuke could not see a fatal injury. Superficial wounds from the earlier needle strikes, yes, but from the looks of it, her borrowed body had not been punctured severely. Not like Naruto had been. Sasuke stole a glance at his blond teammate. There was a lot of blood. Clearly, he needed the most attention.

Sasuke slowly dragged his body over to Naruto. Wincing, he tried to move quickly in pulling bandages from his pouch. Hand shaking, he pulled the zipper down and managed to get the orange jacket off. So much blood. But Sasuke tried his best not to allow the queasiness to get to him. At the Academy, they had been taught basic medical skills. Very basic. Still, he knew to apply pressure. The attack, thankfully, had not hit a vital point, but the bleeding needed to end if Naruto stood a chance of making it out alive. Yes, his teammate still lived. More than likely, he had passed out from the shock of such a brutal attack. So Sasuke went to work dressing the wound. The blood quickly seeped and drenched the bandages, but it would have to do for now. However, it was strange that the enemy allowed this. Why was Haku giving this time of reprieve?

Not wanting to become distracted in his task, Sasuke focused solely on tightly wrapping Naruto’s shoulder. Only when he finished did he look towards one of the mirror images of their enemy. However, Haku’s eyes were not watching him. Instead, they were trained behind him. Looking around, Sasuke realized that all the replicas stared beyond him. Furrowing his brow, the Uchiha shifted his attention as well. His lips parted in surprise. Wisps of grey smoke arose from his teammate. She still did not move, and her body remained slack, but the smoke continue to waft from her, seemingly without a reason.

It was then that Sasuke noticed the change in temperature. It reminded him of being near a hot spring in the winter. No longer being a stifling cold, the air around them changed to a pleasant heat. “What is this…?” he murmured. Clearly, this changed stemmed from his teammate, but she had never shown something of this nature before. Obviously dumbstruck, and intrigued as well, Haku looked on, seemingly allowing whatever event to play out. Finally, Mayu tensed, fingers curling. Sasuke found himself leaning forward in anticipation. Her head suddenly snapped up, revealing the deepest blue eyes he had ever seen. Before he could question where the familiar shade of green had gone, blue flames erupted from her arms. Sasuke gaped, watching his teammate slid through her ice prison like a hot blade through butter.

Mayu landed in a crouched position, palms against the ground. The flames licked at her skin, but she did not blemish or burn. She stood with a purpose, movement similar to a feline. The comparison confused him, but Sasuke paid no mind to the fleeting thought. His eyes were glued to hers, waiting for the next motion. Her gaze, still blue, was unfocused. Like she was in a daze. Like she did not know her own actions. Mayu tilted her head up, and then raised her arms. The blue fire surged from her body, lashing out at the ice that surrounded them. The impact of fire and ice seemingly exploded upon contact. Sasuke clenched his teeth, covering Naruto’s body with his own. He had not needed to. The ice debris had shattered outwards, and the flames had risen over his head.

Eventually, the swirls of hot and cold wind faded, and Sasuke looked around. The dome was gone, destroyed by the fire. He suddenly recalled Haku mocking his own efforts of attempting the same thing with his family’s signature jutsu. It had been Mayu’s fire in the end. She had broken them out of the prison of ice. Sasuke turned to her, a slight frown tugging at his mouth. He noticed that her eyes were green again. Had they changed at all? Or had that been a part of whatever powerful jutsu she had wielded? At any rate, her green eyes did not meet his. Instead, she focused on their enemy, something Sasuke should have done first. _“Did she get him?”_ he wondered, gaze darting around in search of Haku.

Standing a few meters away, the older shinobi stared back at Mayu. Sasuke did not see new damage, so he must have escaped before the fire reached the one ice mirror he had been in. However, Haku appeared startled. Throughout this battle, his stoic expression had cracked many times. This was no different. It was as though this battle had been the first where he had struggled so much. “Impossible,” Haku whispered. He had said that a lot as well. “No one has ever… You… Do you also have a cursed bloodline?”

The lack of answer drew Sasuke’s attention to his teammate. Mayu blinked once, and then slapped her palms together. She was gathering chakra by use of hand seals. Sasuke had seen her performing seals before. She had been crap at it. It had been surprising to witness, but then again, the disappointment came before he had discovered her real name. Based on what she had told him, it would make sense that she would not be as efficient. But here she was, racing through seals as though she had done it most of her life. Her last seal was the ram sign. Then her mouth opened.

“ **Ishikari Style: Mind Transfer Jutsu**!”

A startled gasp nearly escaped his mouth. Sasuke knew little about Mind Transfer—mostly because his former classmate had been too annoying to ask—but he knew that it was a jutsu for reconnaissance. More than that, it had to be used on a nonmoving target because of how slow the jutsu worked. It had never been used for _battle_. Could this _style_ be so different? _“But she said she wasn’t a ninja,”_ Sasuke thought, narrowing his eyes. He watched as the two, Mayu and Haku, became limp in their standing positions. Their heads tilted forward at the same time. Sasuke swallowed, waiting apprehensively.

Mayu moved first, green eyes wide and darting around, openly showing confusion. “What did you _do_?” To Sasuke’s astonishment, it had been Haku’s voice to question. Only his voice had come from a different body. He turned his eyes towards Haku’s body, expecting to hear Mayu’s voice—Sakura’s voice—coming out of the wrong body. Instead, Haku’s body moved forward. The steps were unhurried, but resolute. Footsteps halted and the ninja lowered to the ground. Fingers wrapped around a dropped kunai. The same blade that had been forced out of his hand earlier. “H-How?! What is this?!” Haku raised his voice, watching his own body move about as though controlled by a different force. Clearly, a switch had been made, and the force using his body was Mayu.

Without warning, Mayu impaled the sharp end of the kunai into the shoulder. She gritted teeth that did not belong to her, but did not cry out. “An eye for an eye,” she said through clenched teeth. The kunai dug deeper, and blood poured out, staining the fabric and sliding down. She pulled the kunai out, and then tossed it away. From his position, Sasuke could see the body trembling. He stared, unable to decipher the reason for the pounding of his heart. It had been brutal, but… something else as well. It gave him chills, witnessing such a display. Mayu pressed her hands together. “Release,” she said, calmly, despite the injury she had inflicted on herself.

Again, the two went slack before Haku abruptly leapt backwards, holding a hand to the bleeding wound. Expression completely cracked, the older shinobi grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut. Undoubtedly, the attack had pained him. Haku dropped to one knee, clutching his shoulder in order to stop the bleeding. However, Mayu was not done yet. She slammed her palms against the ground, expression fierce and directed at Haku. “Tooth for a tooth.” The water surrounding the enemy lifted and formed into large ice projectiles. They were not as big as what had been summoned before, but they attacked Haku swiftly all the same. The ice crashed into each other, attempting to get at him, sounding like glass breaking.

Sasuke did not wait to see the result. He took the chance to grabbed Naruto. He lifted the blond, slinging his arm across his shoulder. He was careful to avoid the injury. It was only then that Mayu’s words made sense. _An eye for an eye_. She had been referring to Naruto’s shoulder. The chills came again, stronger than before. As he stood up, Sasuke turned his eyes to Mayu. He still did not know how to describe the feeling within his chest.

Then her brown eyes shifted to him. Finally, the hard look disappeared, and she focused. She ran towards him—them—with her arms outstretched. Sasuke hobbled in her direction as well. As she still had a needle sticking out of her leg, her run had just been a fast limp, so the three of them met halfway. “Is he-he okay?” Mayu questioned, warily touching.

Her first question after displaying such power. It confused him just as much as the actual abilities. She had said that she had no prior ninja training, but that did not seem to be the case. The blue fire, hot and strong, had been utilized, but without chakra. Well, he could not sense any like in other battles. She had also copied a technique from Haku. Not just a technique, though. She had copied an advanced bloodline. Was that even _possible_ …? He had never heard of such a thing.

Furthermore, her eyes were _brown_. Brown like Haku’s. Sasuke was exhausted, baffled, and a multitude of thoughts came to mind, all wanting to break free from his mouth. He had just watched his teammate transform into a fiery storm of fury and devastation, and sent his senses reeling and snapping to attention. No one had ever come close to making him feel anything like this.

“What the fuck are you?” Sasuke blurted. Out of all the thoughts that had manifested, that had been the one to come out, bursting like a faucet. Rightfully offended, Mayu glared at him. He felt his cheeks flush as he slid his tongue over his front teeth. Bad way to start the questions, he admitted to himself. “I-I meant, how did you… _do_ all of that? You’ve never-”

“I don’t know, I don’t care, and honestly, I don’t remember some of it,” Mayu confessed. “But can we please talk about this later? When we’re not in immediate danger?” Couldn’t remember some of it? That was… bizarre. Did she even know her eye color had changed? Now that he had a good look at her, her pink roots had seemed to change to black. “Naruto’s hurt badly. We need to get him to-” She did not finish her sentence. Her eyes suddenly grew wide, and she choked on a scream. Her body jerked forward before she fell to her knees. Sasuke could only watch horrified as senbon needles—two of them—struck the side of her neck.

“Mayu…!” he shouted. Blood shot out of her mouth, spattering against his cheek. Sasuke could not stop the gasp. She fell on her side, body unmoving, yet wails of pain leaving her mouth as blood dripped. “You bastard!” he nearly growled, shifting his attention to Haku. The older shinobi was still poised after launching his attack from where he stood. He seemed to be on his last leg, though. Sasuke carefully, and hastily, lowered Naruto to the ground before examining Mayu’s body. Three senbon had gotten her spine. He lifted her up a bit, and the wails faded to whimpers. “I’m going to pull these out,” he told her, though his hands shook.

“S-Sasuke…” she wheezed. Bracing himself, he yanked the needles from her back all at once. “ _Gah_! I-I-I think yo-you should have-have left the-them in.” Sasuke ignored her words, laying her flat on her back now. “I didn’t know Haku-san was so resilient.” Her voice was fading, getting weaker. And so was her focus.

“Mayu…” Sasuke muttered, frowning. “You’d better not die. Don’t you dare die right now!” Despite the situation, she had the nerve to chuckle. Her expression shifted from mildly scared to wholly amused. “I mean it! You can’t just-”

“Wh-Why are you… so concerned?” she questioned, eyelids lowering. Right before they shut, he saw them change. They had reverted to green. It only served in alarming Sasuke further. “I don’t really matter to you, right, Sasuke?” He did not have an answer for her, mostly because the words clogged in his throat. “Still… This was fun. I-I’m glad… you became someone who mattered to _me_.”

“Shut up… Shut up!” Sasuke said, recognizing the plea in his tone. Mayu’s eyes opened again, focusing on him with furrowed brow. “Don’t… Just don’t talk like that. You’re not going to die.”

“Of course not, bird boy. I’m not gonna die,” Mayu whispered. “It’s too early for the heroine to die.”

“You idiot,” Sasuke called her. He clenched his teeth. “You’re such a damn idiot.” He did not realize how hard he was holding onto her until she winced. Even then, he did not let go. She was going to bruise. “Stay with me, Mayu. Don’t become someone else I have to avenge.”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t know you cared,” she replied, barely audible now.

“I-I don’t… cocoon.”

“Whatever… bird brain.”

The slight smile faltered, the retort coming out as a strained breath. Her eyes twitched shut. Then her body completely gave out. Sasuke could hardly believe it. However, Mayu no longer reacted to the pressure of his fingers around her arms. Her breaths ceased completely. Unmoving. Dead. Like so many others. The young Uchiha closed his eyes. He swallowed rising bile and it was painful on the way down. His heartbeat increased in volume, becoming the only sound he could hear. He was only vaguely aware of his own breathing becoming harsher with each passing second. It squeezed through his clenched teeth. Logic fled his mind then. He did not care for his injuries. He did not care that his body hurt. All he wanted in this moment was justice. No… Not justice. _Vengeance_.

Sasuke opened his eyes, unaware that onyx black had shifted to blood red.

He would not allow the enemy to live. Slowly, he stood up, releasing his iron grip on his teammate. His eyes slid over to the unconscious blond. He had already lost one of them. He would not lose the other. The only solution… was vengeance. Sasuke turned his full attention to Haku. Their enemy seemed to be on his last leg. That did not mean he would be shown any mercy. Without a word, the Leaf shinobi ran towards Haku. He ignored the strain on his body and launched a barrage of punches. The enemy attempted blocks, and attacks, but in Sasuke’s eyes the attempts were too slow. The young Uchiha took his time beating his opponent to a bloody pulp.

A kick to the face sent Haku hurtling backwards, across the bridge and in between the fight between Kakashi and Zabuza. Caught off guard, the two men instinctively jumped apart to avoid the flying body. Sasuke followed, feet rapidly smacking the ground to get at Haku again. He was not finished. The feeling of his vengeance overwhelmed him. He was not going to be satisfied until the blood of his enemy drenched him. Mayu was dead. Naruto was dying. He had lost a semblance of… _again_. He would not allow the enemy to escape. Not this time. Not this time. Not this time. He would not be weak. He would not be weak. He _would not be weak_. But each time his knuckles met Haku’s face, he only felt worse. No amount of violence would bring Ishikari Mayu back. No amount of pain would stop Uzumaki Naruto from dying.

“P… person…” Haku’s gargled voice managed to reach his ears. Sasuke halted, fist reared back. “Y-Your precious… Like… Za-Zabuza-sama…” Sasuke’s grip on Haku’s burnt clothing loosened a bit. Blood slid down and pooled beneath him. “I-I-I tr-truly apolog-apologize.”

“What good does your apology do?!” Sasuke found himself shouting. His grip strengthened and pulled Haku’s face closer. “She’s gone! She’s _dead_! Naruto’s an idiot but he didn’t deserve… _Screw_ your apology!”

“N-Not… Not d-d-dead,” Haku managed. Sasuke furrowed his brow. “L-L-Like Z-Za-Zabuza-sama.”

Once more, Sasuke faltered. He sharply turned his head, focusing on the opposite side of the bridge. Kakashi stood near the bodies of his teammates. Naruto and Mayu remained unmoving. Then, the jounin squatted, hand reaching out for Mayu. He touched her shoulder, and then his fingers lightly touched her throat. Sasuke tensed again, feeling a snarl form on his face. However, before he could snap at his enemy, intending to call him a liar, Kakashi suddenly flicked her nose. To his utter shock, the girl abruptly sat up, hand curled into a fist to punch the offender. The jounin merely swatted her arm away. Sasuke swallowed hard, completely dropping Haku to the ground. A weak groan left him but the Uchiha focused more on the sight before him.

He stood up from his knees and stumbled towards his team. “You’re…” he murmured, drawing closer. As he approached, Mayu spotted him, green eyes widening at the sight. “You’re… not dead.” Sasuke dropped down beside her. His hand reached out to grip her shoulder. To make sure. She winced but did not jerk away from his grip. “You’re still here.”

“She… was put in a near-death like state,” Kakashi filled in. “I don’t think that boy truly wanted to kill her. Or Naruto.” The man shifted his attention to the third genin. Sasuke watched him performed the same examination on Naruto. “He’s alive as well.”

“Damn it…” Sasuke murmured, eyes twitching and stinging. Mayu lifted her arm, hand lightly palming the back of his. “I-I thought you were-” He abruptly bowed his head and squeezed his eyes shut. The need for vengeance faded and, in its place, utter relief filled him. He had not been ready to lose his team. Despite the short amount of time, he had grown attached to them.

“Relax, bird boy,” Mayu whispered. Sasuke slowly cracked his eyes open. He lifted his head to meet her gaze. “I’m not going anywhere just yet.”

“You’d better not.”

“ _Huh_?! What happened?! Where’s Haku?!” The loud voice of Naruto caused both Sasuke and Mayu to turn their attention to the right. Their teammate had regained consciousness. He suddenly grimaced and held his shoulder where ice had pierced him. “Oh _ow_! This _hurts_!”

“Naruto…!” Mayu exclaimed, completely relieved. “You’re okay!”

“Sakura-chan! Sasuke!” Naruto focused on them, and then wrapped his arms around their necks. All three yelped in pain. “Sorry! Sorry!”

On the other side of the bridge, Haku barely clung to consciousness. Distantly, he heard footsteps. Haku shifted his head. He recognized the one who stopped meters away from him. “Zabuza-sama…” he whimpered. His eyes shut, unable to stop the tears from streaming down his face. “I-I failed… I co-could not…” The man stared at the boy, seemingly impartial to sight of his tool looking so thoroughly thrashed. “I’m sorry…”

“I’m disappointed in you, Zabuza.” A voice caught the attention of all those present. Gatou and numerous of his henchmen had arrived. “Look at you. I thought I was paying for the best but you two look about three steps from the grave.”

“What are you doing here, Gatou?” Zabuza questioned. “And what’s with all these men? I’m not finished.”

“Actually, you _are_ finished,” Gatou said. He shrugged. “I’m going to have to kill you and that brat of yours. Never liked either of you anyway. Why would I pay you? From what I can see, you two ended up being worthless. Especially that brat.” As the short man stood so close to the brat in question, he easily pressed his cane against him. He pushed the end into the bleeding shoulder. Haku cried out. Zabuza’s eyebrow twitched. “What? Does this make you angry?”

“No. That’s just a tool,” Zabuza answered, voice steady. “I don’t care about that. I only used him to get paid.”

“WHAT?!” Naruto squawked. “Haku was _fighting_ for you! What the hell?! How can you discard him so easily?! He lives to serve you! You’re the most important person in his life! But you say that means nothing to you?! You’re an even bigger rat than I thought!”

“Calm down, Naruto,” Kakashi attempted to soothe the irate blond.

“No! You mean to tell me Haku fighting for you, and getting hurt for you, meant nothing?!” Naruto continued to rage. “His loyalty meant nothing at all?! So, if I get stronger does that mean I’ll become as cold-hearted as someone like you?! He doesn’t even have a dream of his own! He only wanted to make sure you reached yours! And you toss him aside like a broken tool?! You’re the worst!”

“You…” Zabuza turned his head, looking towards the onlookers of Team 7. “You shame me, boy. Your words… cut deeper than any blade.” The man turned back to his subordinate. Haku’s body lay still, slow and shallow breaths leaving him. Zabuza said nothing else for quite some time before he returned his attention back to his former employer. “I suppose this means I have no reason to keep fighting for a paycheck that won’t come.” His bleeding arm extended, and his fingers gripped his large _zanbato_. With no further warning, he charged at the men. Gatou violently flinched back, hastily ordering his men to protect him. Some did his bidding and were slashed for their efforts. Zabuza cut through them all. He kicked, punched, slashed, and head-butted his way through the small army. The henchmen dropped one by one, battle cries shifting to frightful screaming. Finally, he reached Gatou. Afraid, the man had backed himself to the edge of the unfinished bridge. With a vicious swipe of his arms, Zabuza brought his blade down, sawing him in half. Both halves plummeted into the river below.

“Yikes…!” Naruto commented, wincing.

Zabuza sighed heavily before turning around. He slowly walked back towards where he came. Those that had not been cut down like their coworkers immediately parted not wanting to get in the way of the dangerous ninja. However, Zabuza only looked to Haku. He strapped his blade to his back, and then squatted down. He picked up the boy’s beaten body and held him close. “In the end, it was me who failed you…” he muttered. “Let’s start living… according to us.” Haku lost the battle to stay conscious, so perhaps the words had not reached him. Zabuza shut his eyes. “Let’s fight again some time, Kakashi.” A humorless chuckle left his mouth. Then, both Zabuza and Haku disappeared, leaving swirls of wind and water in their wake.

Mayu blinked in surprise. The dangerous mission had ended. However, this ending was different from what she knew. Despite how hard the genin fought, Haku’s injuries did not seem fatal. Sure, the older shinobi looked worse for wear, but it seemed trivial compared to a powerful lightning jutsu to the heart. Also, Zabuza had not lost the use of his arms. The two managed to survive this encounter on the bridge. Her lips twitched as she slowly stood up from the ground. Her presence—her actions, really—had tweaked the plot. _“Might as well mess this up entirely then,”_ she thought. _“Sorry, Kishimoto-sama…”_ Mayu then grimaced, grabbing at her neck. She had never been put through an ordeal like this before. And this was just the start. _“Will I be able to keep surviving in this world?”_

“It looks like the mission is over now,” Kakashi said. “The enemy has retreated. Let’s take care of your injuries. Good job you three.”

“H-Hey…!” A surviving henchman called out. “What does this mean?! We aren’t getting paid?!”

“Yeah, I’m not going anywhere without getting my money’s worth!” another called out, effectively rallying his coworkers. “Let’s force it outta them!”

“We _broke_! We don’t get paid!” Mayu screeched. “Go home before my future Hokage kicks your asses!”

“ _O-Oi_ , Sakura-chan…! I’m still in pain here! Don’t threaten them with _me_!” Naruto protested, grabbing his injured shoulder again. “Threaten them with Sasuke! He’s all red-eyed now, or something!”

“My eyes are red…?” Sasuke blinked a few times.

“It looks like your Sharingan activated,” Kakashi mentioned.

“Oh…”

“You’d think he would be more excited about that,” Mayu muttered.

“Don’t ignore us!” Another henchman pointed his finger at the team. “We’re getting paid one way or another!” He turned to his comrades, invoking their agreement. Several rapidly nodded their heads. “We work together, and we can take them all on!” He raised his fist to the sky. “Charge-!”

“I don’t think so!” a new voice interrupted the rallying of Gatou’s men. The voice seemed to echo. Team 7, as well as the henchmen, turned their attention to the mob behind them. The mob consisted of villagers. The crowd was twice as large as Gatou’s men. Inari, the bridge builder’s grandson, stood at the front with a crossbow in his hands. “You’re done here!” he shouted. “Or you’ll end up just like your boss!”

“Look who finally showed up!” Naruto exclaimed. The henchmen were less excited around the arrival of most of the town. All the villagers had weapons in their hands, including the women and children. They outnumbered the surviving henchmen by, at least, a hundred. “Seeing them is getting me fired up!” Naruto turned back around to face the henchmen. With a feral grin, his hands pressed together to form his favorite seal. “ **Shadow Clone Jutsu**!” Twenty clones joined the mob and all jeered, ready for action.

“ _Uh_ …” The mouthy henchmen faltered, backing away. “NOT WORTH IT! RETREAT!” His cry echoed as he ran away. Others took his advice and turned, running away from the greater threat. The sudden departure generated groans of disappointment from the blonde shinobi. His clones dispersed and the boy staggered into Mayu.

“Not all our opponents will be stupid, Naruto,” she told him, tired grin on her face. The villagers behind them abruptly broke out into cheers. Gatou and his thugs were gone. Finally, they could all be at peace again. “Yay!” Mayu cheered along with them. “They did it without doing _anything_!” Fortunately, only her team heard the remark.

“Sakura,” Kakashi scolded.

“Quit it with the commentary already,” Sasuke sighed out.

0-0


	11. New Kids on the Block

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chuunin Exam Arc...! START!

The Zabuza saga may be over… The threat may have ended… However, when Team 7 completed their normal D-rank missions… it would only be a matter of time before a new threat happened. Three genin must band together to face their toughest of foes. The next saga will begin soon. Ishikari Mayu sighed heavily, staring at herself in the mirror. Pink roots were beginning to show again. It had been two weeks since the dangerous mission in the Land of Waves. Almost a week of D-ranked missions. It was becoming a tedious thing to dye the pink tresses. Maybe it was time to call it quits. It was a process that cut into training time, after all.

Mayu tightened the headband around her forehead. Today, she styled Sakura’s hair in a high ponytail, instead of a long braid. Despite feeling like a new arc right around the corner, she had been feeling lethargic. Perhaps it was the tedious missions. After Haku, everything else seemed lackluster. Maybe that was Sasuke’s reasoning…? Narrowing her green eyes, Mayu turned to head out the door. “I’m off…!” she called over her shoulder as she walked out of the house.

“Be careful, Sakura!”

Although Mayu had long since gotten used to the name, it still felt strange to her. She was posing as Haruno Sakura—a fictitious character from an anime. It had been months already. So far, nothing alluded to the reason for this displacement. Mayu thought about it for some time but could not come up with any answers. Perhaps this was all random. Perhaps this was only an elaborate dream. Perhaps she just didn’t have enough information to move forward. The only thing she could do, for now, was to go with the flow of the story. Somethings already changed. Eventually, an answer would come, right? With a slight sigh, Mayu walked down the street, shaking interdimensional theories and parallel universes from her head.

As usual, the team was supposed to meet at the small red bridge in town. It was relatively close to the Haruno residence, so Mayu assumed she would arrive first as always. However, as she approached the landmark, she realized that her mostly quiet teammate had arrived ahead of her. Uchiha Sasuke leaned on the red railing, arms folded on the banister. His dark gaze trained on the water below. Obviously, he had not noticed her presence just yet. Mayu blinked once, stopping her strides. It was unusual to see him so early. She knew that he trained himself in the early morning, so often he would arrive after Naruto. Had there been a break in his routine?

Pressing her lips together, Mayu continued forward. “Good morning, Sasuke!” She managed a smile as the Uchiha shifted his focus to her. A frown tugged at his lips. Mayu’s eyebrow twitched but she waited for his response. Because she was raised to be polite. Sasuke, however, merely turned around without a word or grunt of acknowledgement. Mayu’s smile cracked, immediately feeling annoyed by his behavior. Again. This was not the first time he stared at her only to pretend she did not exist. “Well, good morning to you, too, bird boy!” The remark did not garner a hint of a reaction. Grumbling to herself, Mayu crossed her arms and turned her back to him.

It had been this way between them since coming back from the Land of Waves. Yes, he tended to ignore most people. However, this treatment felt personal. Mayu had to wonder if she had done something to cause this silent treatment. The more she pondered, the more aggravated she became. By the time Uzumaki Naruto arrived, her shoulders were trembling with barely contained anger. With his normal grin, Naruto approached, obviously eager to greet his teammate. “Good morning, Sakura-chan…!” he said, unaware that he had just ignited the bomb. “How are you-?”

“Go jump in a river!” Mayu snapped, glaring. Naruto faltered, grin leaving his face. He poked his lower lip out and appeared completely down by the demand. He looked as though she had kicked him without reason. The kunoichi flinched, instantly feeling bad for taking her frustrations out on the innocent blonde. Mayu forced herself to relax. Her expression softened. “Sorry, Naruto… I didn’t mean that towards you.” Naruto hesitantly returned his gaze to her, though he still pouted. “I wouldn’t normally tell my future Hokage to jump in a river.” Referring to his dream tended to put her blond teammate in better spirits. Fortunately, it worked this time, too. His grin came back as he asked what had put her in a bad mood. “Sasuke…!” Mayu admitted, shifting her glare to the Uchiha. The person in question did not react. “ _He_ can go jump in a river! In fact-” With no further warning, the kunoichi pushed Sasuke hard. “I’ll help.”

Obviously not expecting it, Sasuke’s body nearly flew over the banister and plummeted to the water below. Mayu watched with twisted satisfaction as the shinobi flapped his arms in a futile attempt to stop himself. He yelped as his body finally hit the water. Mayu scoffed lightly as Naruto began laughing at the soaking wet Uchiha. The running water was shallow, but it had done the job of soaking through his clothes. Sitting up with raised knees and palms against the ground, Sasuke glared up at them. “Why the hell did you do that?!” he growled. “You stupid cocoon!” Obviously, he was more embarrassed than angry. Mayu did not care. She petulantly stuck her tongue out. “Just wait until I get up there! You’re going to wish you never became my teammate!”

“ _Oh_! So _now_ we’re teammates?!” Mayu shouted back. “Well, pardon me for not noticing! And _who the hell_ are you calling cocoon?!”

“Who the hell do you think, cocoon girl?!”

“That’s it!” Mayu threw her arms up before immediately jumping over the railing. She crashed hard into the startled Uchiha, taking both down. The shock quickly wore off and Sasuke flipped her over. Mayu did not allow him to remain on stop for long. They both struggled, angry grunts leaving their mouths as they glared at one another. For a time, they wrestled in the water, not paying attention to anything else. Finally, the two were separated. Hatake Kakashi had arrived and ended the senseless bout. Still, Mayu and Sasuke glared, panting in near sync. “Perhaps,” Kakashi began. “You two should save some of this animosity for missions.” With a hand on either of his subordinates’ shoulders, he appeared disappointed at their behavior. “You shouldn’t fight one another.”

“She/He started it!” The two, pointing, realized they had exclaimed in unison. Their stares intensified. “Oh, grow up, Sasuke! You shouldn’t be so childish!” Mayu continued, lowering her finger. “Clearly, I’m the bigger person in this outfit.”

“The only thing bigger between us is your _forehead_!” Sasuke retorted.

“Why you little-” Offended on Sakura’s behalf, Mayu lunged at her teammate again, but Kakashi had not released her shoulder.

“Why are you two behaving this way?” he questioned. “I expect this sort of thing from Naruto-” An offended ‘HEY!’ came from above but all three ignored it. “-not you two.”

“It’s not my fault she’s _PMSing_!” Sasuke sneered.

“I’ll _show_ you PMSing, bird boy! Name the time and place!”

“Sakura. You both are wet enough as it is,” Kakashi reprimanded. Mayu huffed indignantly. “Recently, all you two do is ignore each other. To think it would escalate into violence.” He sighed heavily. “When will you learn the concept of teamwork?”

“Whatever…!” Mayu grumbled, swatting Kakashi’s hand away. She did not quite appreciate the reprimand for _Sasuke’s_ behavior. Her reaction had been completely appropriate. The kunoichi walked up the side of the bridge, and then landed beside Naruto. He blinked, seemingly confused. Well, maybe he noticed the tension as well. He squinted at her, obviously trying to connect the dots. However, he would not know the dots. Mayu, herself, was just as lost. Huffing, she shook the excess water from her borrowed body. Her mother remarked on the strange similarities to a dog. Honestly, Mayu preferred cat instead. Scowling, the girl crossed her arms as Kakashi and Sasuke planted their feet on the bridge. The Uchiha immediately glared, and she glared right back. The jounin sighed heavily, still very much disappointed by the antics. “So, what’s the mission for today, sensei?”

“Yeah! Yeah! What’s the next mission?!” Naruto questioned, done with trying to figure out the reason for the tension between his teammates. “Come on! No more of that dumb beginner stuff! I want a real mission! A mission where I can show what I’m really made of!”

Mayu blinked once, and then stopped listening. Naruto usually started their day in this manner. It was repetitive. Kakashi never surprised them with any mission higher than D-rank, and yet Naruto persistently asked for more. Apparently, his hope for better missions would not cease until he got what he wanted. Green eyes slowly drifted to the quietest member of the team. Dark eyes, once again, stared into space. A slight flinch of his shoulders indicated he felt Mayu’s stare. Sasuke looked towards the kunoichi. For a second, they only stared. Then, in unison, their expressions hardened.

“Cocoon,” he muttered.

“Bird brain,” she responded in kind.

0-0

After completing tedious missions, the three genin walked. Well, Sasuke and Mayu walked. Naruto, in between, was practically dragged. Mayu mentally sighed. How could someone get a black eye, fall down a waterfall, and nearly become barbequed all in one day? Most people would space that out over a week. But not Uzumaki Naruto. He just _had_ to pull all the plants and pick the biggest dog. Surprisingly, the dog remained unhurt by the explosions. “Naruto, I don’t understand why you do this to yourself,” Mayu mentioned. “It’s like ‘Hey, it’s the consequences of my own actions!’ with you.” Naruto merely chuckled nervously at the accurate assessment. “I mean, really… You’ve gotta do better. The future Hokage shouldn’t act like this.”

“Sorry, Sakura-chan…” he whined. “I swear I’m not doing this on purpose.”

“You’re just one big problem,” Sasuke commented, smirking. Mayu made a face but did not verbally respond. Despite the hours of their job, he still ignored her, so she ignored him. “I don’t think any Hokage acts like you.”

“SASUKE…!” Naruto growled as he snatched away from the Uchiha. Rolling her eyes, Mayu released Naruto, inwardly hoping for a tackle. Instead, Naruto made strangling motions with his hands. Sasuke scoffed before walking off. “ _Oi_ …! Don’t turn your back on me! You can’t just walk off when you feel like it!”

“Watch me,” Sasuke called over his shoulder, not bothering to halt his steps.

“I guess we’re not making much progress with the teamwork thing, huh?” Kakashi sighed heavily.

“That’s _right_ …! Our teamwork is all messed up and it’s _your_ fault, Sasuke!” Naruto shouted. The Uchiha did not stop. “You think you’re better than everyone else?!”

“Not everyone…” He finally stopped. Sasuke slipped his hands in his pockets and turned. He smirked again. “Just you,” Sasuke replied. Naruto curled his fingers into fists. “Face it. I’m better and stronger than you are. I need to be better and stronger than you, so it’s a fact. Unless you want to prove me wrong, huh?”

Mayu sneered. His dark eyes glanced between both herself and Naruto. All three genin glared, silently provoking a physical battle. Behind them, Kakashi sighed again. “Alright. I think that’s enough for today,” he announced. Three sets of eyes shifted his way. “I’m going to file the report for our missions. You guys can do whatever from this point.” With a wave, the jounin disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

“Whatever… I’m leaving,” Sasuke stated.

Mayu watched him go, entire face twitching. This twisted impasse was going to drive her insane. “Wait a minute, Sasuke!” She ran after him. Of course, the jerk did not halt his departure. “I said wait! You motherfu-” To her surprise, he actually stopped. She nearly collided with his back. Sasuke turned his head sideways, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. Mayu sighed through her nose, forcing herself to calm down. “Why are you doing this?” Sasuke turned to face her completely.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

“You know what!” Mayu exclaimed. “Ever since we’ve returned from that dangerous mission, you’ve been a real asshole to me! More than normal!” He scowled at the comment, but she did not care. He knew what type of person he was. “Whatever it is that I did…” She sighed heavily. “Tell me. If I did something you don’t like just tell me and I’ll fix it! I thought…” Mayu clenched her teeth. “I thought we became friends. Not just teammates. Actual _friends_.” Sasuke’s eyes widened as though truly taken aback by her declaration. “Please correct me if I had that wrong, so I can stop feeling like you’ve abandoned me. You think I want to feel this anger? You think I want to feel so disappointed and hurt?!” She nearly shouted out her frustration as she squeezed her eyes shut.

“… Mayu…” The sound of her name spoking so softly gave the girl pause. Slowly, she opened her eyes and lifted her head. Sasuke was the only person in this world who knew her real identity. The only one who knew her secret. Even before that, they had confided in one another. He told her things that many would not know. Had it been wrong to think of him as friend just because? Mayu bit her lower lip. “That’s what you were…?” His question trailed as he diverted his stare elsewhere. A soft sigh left his mouth. “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t-” He sighed again, harsher than the last time. “We _are_ friends.” Then, without explanation, he stiffly walked away. It probably had been the most embarrassing confession for him.

Mayu felt her lip twitching again. This time in amusement. “Wow…” she muttered to herself. “Really wasn’t expecting an apology but I’ll take it.” Finally, a smile touched her face. She hummed lightly, praising herself for such a thing. Truthfully, she had been hurt by his standoffish behavior, so to have Sasuke admit to friendship was a big deal. She hoped their bond continued through whatever trials they may face. All three of them. “I’ma beast…!” Mayu grinned.

“ _Ne_ , Sakura-chan… What are you doing?”

Flinching, Mayu whirled around to find Naruto and three younger kids staring at her, varying degrees of wariness. Had she been cackling like an evil villain again? Mayu cleared her throat, only partially embarrassed. She recognized the three as Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon. The three were ninja-in-training and apparently liked to follow Naruto around. Speaking of the blonde shinobi, he appeared to gain a pink hue to those whiskered cheeks. Mayu blatantly asked what that was about. Naruto rubbed the back of his head, grinning shyly. Realizing, Mayu frowned. She thought she had successfully nipped this crush. Konohamaru pointed a finger, suggesting that she and Naruto were dating.

“No, kid,” Mayu could not stop the scoff if she had tried. “I’m not interested in dating. Let alone the future Hokage. Besides, someone already has their eye on Naruto. That romantic subplot must go on.”

“Yeah, yeah! You told me this before! But you never told me who!” Naruto exclaimed, bouncing with excitement.

“I didn’t tell _you_ …” Mayu reminded, narrowing her eyes.

“Wh-What I meant was…!” Naruto backpedaled, and Mayu almost laughed. “Well, anyway, it’s probably some weird, creepy girl that realizes that Sasuke would never look at her, so she chooses me instead. Probably not important in the least. I’ll take my chances with Sakura-chan!” The declaration immediately quelled any affection and amusement. Mayu raised her fist and brought it down hard on top of Naruto’s head. He crashed into the ground, shouting in pain.

“YOU DUMBASS!” Mayu screeched, pointing at his withering form. “She’s not weird or creepy! She’s cute, adorable, strong and-and loving! You’re so ungrateful! How dare you try to tarnish the _NaruHina_ plot in front of me?! And what? Take your chances with Sakura-chan?! She’ll beat your ass every single day for minor grievances! You want that abuse for the rest of your life?! Cuz I’ll tell you right now, I’ll prevent that if it’s the last thing I do!”

“Boss…!” In unison, the younger kids crowded around the downed shinobi. Mayu rolled her eyes and folded her arms. He had had worse than a measly punch to the noggin. Konohamaru sharply turned, pointing. “You’re a witch!” he shouted. “And you-you’re ugly, too!”

“ _Ooh_ , ouch…!” Mayu sarcastically said, clutching at invisible pearls. “Ten out of ten, Kono! Really digs in my heart.” The kid noticed the sarcasm and visibly fumed. “Words are wind, brat. You’d think the grandson of the Hokage would know something like that.” Unapologetic, Mayu turned and walked away, ignoring Konohamaru’s grumbles.

“We-Well, you’re… you’re not even human!” he called to her. “You… You’re just an annoying cocoon!”

Mayu froze mid-stride. She blinked once, and then, painfully slow, turned her head to the group. Naruto grimaced, eyes wide in terror. A pink eyebrow twitched, and Naruto violently flinched back, stumbling to his feet. “What… What did you just say?” Mayu asked, voice as calm as the eye of a storm. “Please repeat it but let me warn you… Say it again and _you’re going to regret it_.” Honestly, she gave Sasuke a pass—well, not really—because of their friendship. Konohamaru was just a brat she barely knew. If he said it again, he would know the wrath of Ishikari Mayu.

“I-I said…” His eyes darted back and from between her and Naruto. Her teammate only shivered, paralyzed by the threat. “You’re an annoying cocoon!” Konohamaru made the mistake of repeating. Mayu pressed her lips together, and for a few quiet moments, green eyes remained impassive on the brat. Then, the kunoichi suddenly dashed down the street. All of them, including Moegi and Udon, took off, screaming in fright. Mayu must have looked hella scary to garner such a reaction. But she found herself not caring as she gave chase. Konohamaru would learn. They would all learn her wrath.

Before it could become a full-fledged chase, Konohamaru accidently ran straight into an innocent bystander. Mayu halted, recognizing the stranger. The others stopped as well, watching as the foreign ninja turned and picked up the boy by his scarf. Forgetting her anger, Mayu stared with wide eyes. _“Kankuro!”_ she thought, excited. Just a bit beyond the Sand ninja stood another, frowning in annoyance. _“And Temari-san!”_ It took her entire willpower not to scream. The new arc… This was the start of the _Chuunin Exam_ arc. Which meant… Which meant… “ _PANDA-CHAN_!”

**Hey, look, ma! I _maaaade_ it!**

“Does this hurt, punk?” Kankuro growled whilst Konohamaru struggled to get away from the vice grip.

“Put him down or you’ll pay for it later,” Temari advised, seemingly not caring in the slightest.

“ _Oi_ … Could you be so kind as to release him?” Mayu asked, politely as she stepped forward. Both Sand ninja looked her way. “I was in the middle of trying to maim him.”

“ _Ahh_! Don’t put me down! Don’t put me down!” Konohamaru squealed.

“Konohamaru! Don’t be so rude!” Mayu scolded. “Is this how the honorable grandson of the Hokage should be acting?!”

“Grandson…?” Kankuro muttered. “That’s funny. How do I know you’re not lying?”

“… _Why_ would I lie?” Mayu replied. “Are you about to take him hostage or something?”

“You know what? That’s fair,” Kankuro admitted, dropping the honorable grandson in question.

His dark eyes trained on Mayu, specifically the forehead protector. Konohamaru quickly scurried back to the safety of his own numbers. Mayu stayed put, examining the puppet ninja in return. “I must say…” she said. “Trying to provoke a fight on foreign soil is not exactly smart of you.” A hand abruptly reached out, fingers curling around the front of the red fabric. Kankuro yanked her towards him and glared. Mayu tensed, forcing herself not to react. “You see, this is what I mean.”

“I don’t like when people imply that I’m stupid,” Kankuro told her.

“Imply…?” Mayu innocently said. “There was no implication behind my statement.”

“ _Ah_ , a wise-guy, huh?”

“I’m not a guy, doofus.”

“Could have fooled me with that flat chest of yours.”

“ _Why_ are you looking at my chest in the first place?” Mayu questioned, furrowing her brow. “Stop! Don’t touch me there!” She fingers mimed a shape around Kankuro’s arm as she sang. “This is a private square!”

“I don’t like you, little girl,” Kankuro stated, flushing in embarrassment. Still, he did not release her. “I don’t like you. This village. Or these annoyances.”

“And yet we’re still talking.”

“Oi! Let Sakura-chan go!” Naruto’s shout cut through whatever Kankuro might have said in response. His eyes looked towards the blond shinobi. “That’s my teammate you’re holding! I’ll kick your ass if you don’t let her go!”

“ _Aww_ …!” Mayu felt a bit touched.

“No, I don’t think I will,” Kankuro replied. “She pisses me off.”

“ _Ha_! You don’t have a choice!” Mayu said, finally grabbing the shinobi’s wrists with both hands. He returned his attention back to her but the kunoichi already lifted her leg in a high kick. The sole of her foot smashed directly into Kankuro’s face. He staggered, releasing his hold on her clothes. Mayu dropped her foot only to rapidly bring up the other. She twisted her body and her heel struck Kankuro’s jaw. “ _Shazaam_!” The Sand shinobi slammed hard into the nearby fence. Naruto cheered, clearly impressed by the feat. Kankuro shook the dizziness away, and then glared at her. Using the fence as support, he slowly stood up. Before he could make a move, Mayu lashed out and kicked his shin. The Sand shinobi staggered, giving her the opportunity to drive her knuckles to his throat. Again, he fell. His fingers curled around his neck. He coughed and gasped for air.

“T-Temari…!” he wheezed, reaching towards his sister with his other hand.

“Oh no, Kanuro,” Temari waved off his request. Mayu glanced her way. The Sand kunoichi seemed mildly impressed by the feat and stayed put. “I tried to tell you. Not my fault you underestimated this Leaf kunoichi.”

“Is this ‘Hey, if it isn’t the consequences of your actions!’ thing, Sakura-chan?” Naruto questioned, feigning innocence.

“That’s correct, my future Hokage,” Mayu agreed. She then completely focused on Kankuro again. “Where do you get off hurting little kids, anyway? As the older ninja, you should be setting an example.”

“Sc-Screw you…!” Kankuro managed.

“Sorry. But this was only self-defense,” Mayu told him. He did not care for reasoning. Once he overcame his coughing, Kankuro hastily stood and threw a punch. Mayu frowned and shifted her foot back, preparing to counteract. However, the collision never came. Instead, a rock struck the shinobi’s wrist, halting the punch in its tracks. Both Kankuro and Mayu turned towards where the rock came from. Just behind her, Uchiha Sasuke sat on a tree branch, casually tossing another rock before catching it. Mayu blinked once before a grin stretched on her face. “Were you there the whole time, bird boy?”

“Yeah,” Sasuke admitted. “Wanted to see what all the fuss was about.” He caught the rock once more before squeezing it hard. His dark eyes glared down at Kankuro. “You’re a little far away from home to be starting fights,” he mentioned, letting the remnants of the rock sprinkle from his palm.

“Oh great,” Kankuro grumbled, not impressed at all. “Another wimp to tick me off.”

“Another wimp, you say?” Sasuke smirked. “So, I suppose my teammate _didn’t_ just have you flat on the ground—twice—in under a minute? My mistake.” The sarcastic commented garnered a few snickers before Naruto. “I despise losers like you. Get lost.” Moegi squealed and called the Uchiha cool. Mayu refrained from rolling her eyes. She didn’t think Sasuke was aware of how often he showed off to new people like this.

“Oi… punk. Get down here,” Kankuro demanded. “You’re the kinda pesky snot I hate the most. All talk and no action.” He gripped the strap over his shoulder, lowering the mummified puppet to the ground. “I’ll show you Karasu.”

“You’re using _Karasu_ for this?!” Temari exclaimed.

“Yeah, bro—you need to relax,” Mayu said. “This situation is _not_ that serious.”

“ _You_ shut up!”

“Kankuro…” A deadly calm voice spoke, drawing the attention of everyone around. Mayu’s eyes widened and her body stiffened. She sharply turned, focusing on the tree adjacent to where Sasuke perched. As expected, another stood upside down on a branch. Arms crossed and seafoam eyes glaring, Gaara made his impressive first appearance. Sasuke visibly showed his shock at the arrival. Mayu, herself, attempted to contain a squeal. “You are an embarrassment to our village.” 

“Ga-Gaara…!” Kankuro trembled. “Listen, Gaara… these guys—they started it.”

“Lies and slander!” Mayu refuted.

“Shut up,” Gaara narrowed his eyes further. “I’ll kill you.”

“So-Sorry! It was my fault! I’m so-so sorry!” Kankuro appeared seconds away from groveling.

Satisfied, Gaara turned his eyes to Mayu. The urge to squeal rose. “Excuse them,” he said, politely. Mayu clasped her hands together and squeezed her eyes shut. She felt heat rise to her cheeks. The will it took not to go full on fangirl seemed a pressure greater than a volcano. The Sand shinobi shut his eyes, and then disappeared in a swirl of sand. Sasuke stood just as the foreign ninja reappeared on the ground beside his sister, who flinched in fright. “Let’s go,” he told them, unbothered by their reactions to his presence. “We did not come here to fool around.” 

“I-I know,” Kankuro replied, still a bit shook. He hurriedly picked up his puppet, securing it to his back again. Then he walked over to his siblings. “I’m sorry,” he tried again. Gaara merely turned and began walking away.

“Wait!” Mayu burst, taking a step forward. Fortunately, the three of them stopped. “You’re from Sand. That means you’re here for the _Chuunin Exams_ , right?” Sasuke dropped down beside her as they turned around to face her. Hm. She probably should not ask for autographs right now. Mayu cleared her throat. “What’s your names?”

“You want to know our names?” Temari questioned.

“Just the one with the gourd on his back,” Sasuke interjected. He ignored the fierce glare from his teammate. “I want to know who you are.”

“Don’t listen to this blasphemer,” Mayu said. “I want to know all of your names!”

“… My name is Temari,” the kunoichi answered.

“Kankuro,” he introduced himself.

“I am called Gaara,” the youngest stated. “What are your names?”

“My name-”

Mayu pushed her teammate out of the way before he could introduce himself. She stood in his place and focused entirely on the cute, murderous red-haired shinobi. “My name is Ma— _ah_ … I mean, Haruno Sakura!” she exclaimed, nearly wiggling in place. Gaara blinked. “Bu-But you can call me Mayu-chan if you want!” The shinobi blinked again. Then he tilted his head forward in a nod. The kunoichi was sure that large pink hearts had replaced her green eyes.

“Mayu!” Sasuke rudely pushed her back, but she only giggled. Scowling, the Uchiha turned his attention back to Gaara. “My name is Uchiha Sasuke.” He narrowed his eyes. “A pleasure.”

“Indeed,” Gaara replied.

“ _Oi_ , _oi_! Don’t you want to know my name?” Naruto stepped beside his teammates, appearing eager. “It’s Uzu-”

“I couldn’t care less,” Gaara interrupted. The blond visibly deflated. “Goodbye.”

With that said, the three Sand ninja turned their backs and jumped away. Mayu broke the tense atmosphere by sighing dreamily. “This is the best day ever!” she squealed aloud. Sasuke rolled his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I can’t believe the _Chuunin Exam_ is here already!”

“Looks like we finally have some competition again,” Sasuke murmured.

“What exactly is a Chuunin Exam, Sakura-chan?” Naruto asked.

“I’m starting to get disappointed by your lack of knowledge, Naruto,” Mayu told him. Her teammate pouted. “It’s exactly what it sounds like, though. It’s a test to determine if genin are ready to advance to the next level—a chuunin. We’ll start receiving better missions than D-rank.”

“What?!” Judging from his voice, Mayu could tell that this was the absolute first time he had heard of it. Had it truly thought it was genin then straight to Hokage? She almost frowned. “I definitely want to take it!”

“ _Hm_ … Sasuke,” Mayu said, turning to the Uchiha. He, too, looked her way, raising a questioning brow. “It will be difficult for all of us. Ninja from around the world will testing for the next rank. So, we should train together.”

“Just the two of us?” Sasuke scoffed. “I don’t have time to go on dates.”

“Ain’t nobody want you, bird boy!” Mayu retorted offended. She thought she had made that perfectly clear the day they had become genin. “And besides, you still owe Ino-chan a kiss! I have not forgotten our deal, you know!” Sasuke rolled his eyes. “I meant the _three of us_! All of us should train together and get stronger. Our tactics against Haku were impressive, right?”

“… Fine,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “But I’m not kissing Ino.”

“You do _not_ have a choice about that.”

“For real, Sasuke? We’re gonna train together?” Naruto asked, mildly suspicious.

“You’d better keep up, Naruto. I won’t hold back, so you better not waste my time.”

“You better not waste _my_ time! _I’m_ the one that’s gonna be Hokage!”

“Whatever.”

“Let’s get started right now then!” Mayu said, enthused. She received two nods of agreement. “Let’s all achieve the rank of chuunin!”

0-0

The next morning, on their day off, Kakashi requested to meet with the genin of his team. Although he had been late, the man had made up for that by informing them that he had given recommendations for the team to take the upcoming exam. Of course, the three already knew about it but Naruto still gave his sensei the biggest hug he could muster. Afterwards, Kakashi explained a few things to them. He told them that in five days, they would head to the Academy to register. In the following five days, they were individually attacked by random ninja. Sasuke had to fight. Naruto had to fight. Mayu had to see through genjutsu. She might have been sour about that. But she understood. After all, the disguised ninja had been a man that had personally taught them. He took it easy on them based on whom he taught in classes. However, he had not known Ishikari Mayu at all.

Also, in those five days, the team worked hard at their training. Sasuke had finally confessed the reason for his behavior. He had told them both that he despised that they had been so close to death, and he hadn’t been able to do anything. Neither of them could die in front of him, he had said. Then, he had told Mayu, alone, about the bizarre jutsu she had used. He had showed her the seals and told her to practice. They might need it for this. Probably, Mayu had agreed.

Now, five days later, Mayu rushed to get to the Academy. She found her teammates, obviously waiting for her. Pleasantries exchanged, the three genin entered the Academy. Soon, they came across a crowd of genin. They all seemed to be wanting into a room. The team pushed themselves through, halting in front of the commotion. Mayu lit up at the sight of Rock Lee. Even though he had just been knocked to the floor. He happened to be her second favorite. This arc was truly the best. “You’re trying to take the exam with that level?” There were two ninja blocking the way into the room. The one who had spoken sneered. “Quit while you’re ahead.”

“You’re still just kids, after all,” the other mocked. A kunoichi stepped forward. Mayu recognized her as Tenten. She was on Rock Lee’s team, after all. She politely requested entry into the room. She was punched in the face for her troubles. Mayu frowned deeply as someone commented on the cruel action. “What’d you say? We’re only doing you guys a favor. This exam is extremely difficult.”

“We’ve seen those who quit being a ninja or got injured severely thanks to this exam.”

“Sasuke! That’s not even the right door! Why are we still here?” Mayu loudly whispered to her teammate. Every ninja turned to her because everyone heard it. “Oh. Did I say that too loudly?” She grinned. Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head. “But isn’t it obvious? We’re on the second floor.”

“So, one of you noticed, eh?”

“Of course,” Sasuke spoke up. “Sakura’s eyes for seeing through illusions are the best on our squad.”

“Thanks, bird brain,” Mayu simpered, flicking the hair that framed her face. Her teammate rolled his eyes again but said nothing. The room number suddenly reverted to 201, breaking the illusion. Several gasps echoed throughout the hallway. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, my team has better things to do than crowding around jerks.”

One of the jerks scoffed and shut his eyes. “You’re pretty good,” he acknowledged. “But being able to detect isn’t enough.” With no other warning, he lashed out. The genin of Team 7 moved instantly. The older ninja had gone after Sasuke, and he moved to counter. Naruto appeared beside the jerk, grabbing a fistful of his hair and holding a palm at the joint of his arm, effectively halting the punching attempt. Mayu stood on the other side, kunai pointed at the neck. In her other hand, she aimed another kunai at the guy’s partner, glaring fiercely. Darn body had just moved on its own. Completely instinctive. It appeared she had come far from her first day as a ninja. However, even immobile, Sasuke had not hit the jerk because Lee stood in between them, holding off their attempts.

For a single moment, no one moved. Then Mayu turned her head, looking to the one that had stopped the collision. Lee had caught Sasuke’s kick with one hand and held off the jerk’s curled fist as well. The kunoichi found herself grinning, positively impressed by the ninja known as Rock Lee. She definitely still admired him. Even with weights, he was _fast_. Perhaps she would suggest weight training in the future. The red-nosed jerk used the distraction quite nicely. He quickly twirled, escaping the grip Naruto had on him and evading the kunai Mayu held. Sasuke blinked, staring at the green-clad ninja in surprise. Then, relaxing, he shifted his gaze to Lee’s hand.

“You broke the promise,” a new voice called out. Slowly, Mayu slipped her weapons back into her pouch as the two others of Team Gai approached. Hyuga Neji narrowed his pale eyes, examining them all before turning to Lee. “You’re the one who didn’t want to attract attention by doing something that stands out.”

“But…” Lee mumbled, averting his eyes. He, too, relaxed his stance. Then his dark eyes shifted in Mayu’s direction. Then, he walked towards her, seemingly determined. Mayu furrowed her brow. The shinobi halted in front of her. “My name is Rock Lee,” he stated. Mayu merely blinked, trying to remember this scene. She could not connect it fast enough, though. “You’re Sakura-san, right?”

“Sure…” Mayu replied.

The shinobi smiled, cheeks visibly turning red. Oh, wait a minute… Lee held up his thumb, curling the rest of his wrapped fingers inward. His smile turned into his signature grin, complete with sparkle. “Let’s go out together!” he asserted. “I’ll protect you until the day I die!” He winked and the sparkle of his teeth shined. Oh! Mayu released a hearty laugh. Now, she remembered. She had not realized that Lee had developed an insta-crush on Haruno Sakura. Honestly, she believed that it had come in _The_ _Forest of Death_. But no. It was happening right here. Right now.

“You’re quite bold, Lee-san,” Mayu replied with a smile. “And so cute, too.” His cheeks became a darker shade of red at the compliments. “I would love to go out with someone like you.” Lee gasped slowly, looking amazed. Naruto’s mouth dropped open. Out of the corner of her eye, Mayu noticed Sasuke turn his lip up. “But not right now.” Lee deflated some. “I want to focus on my ninja career and getting stronger. Maybe when I’m as strong as you, okay?” She stood on the tip of her toes and leaned forward. Sakura’s lips gently touched Lee’s cheek. “ _Chu_ …!” Without looking back, Mayu walked away. However, she clearly heard a body hit the floor. Giggling to herself, she continued. If the real Sakura ever found out…

“The hell was that, Sakura-chan?!” Naruto questioned, matching her pace. “You actually like that guy?!”

“Lee-san seems sincere and loyal,” Mayu told him. “A total _bae_.”

“A _bae_ …?” Sasuke walked to the left of her, scowl on his face. “What’s that mean?” Mayu only giggled again. _“Tch_ … Your taste is as weird as you are.”

“ _Ooh_ , compliment me some more, Sasuke! I _love_ it!”

The Uchiha rolled his eyes.

“Hey, you there!” The voice caused the three to halt. In near unison, the team turned to discover that Hyuga Neji had followed them. “Identify yourself.”

“You’re supposed to identify yourself before asking that information,” Sasuke replied, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Go on then. We’re waiting.”

“You’re a rookie, aren’t you?” Neji questioned. “How old are you?”

“Oh, he’s asking for your age. It must be a confession like with Lee-san,” Mayu remarked. “Wow! Everyone on that team is so bold!” She turned her eyes to Sasuke, completely missing how angry Neji’s eyes had become. “I think he’s got the hots for you.”

“ _Haha_! Sasuke attracts dudes!” Naruto teased. 

“Shut up, Naruto,” Sasuke retorted, frowning now. He looked Neji’s way. “Thanks. Flattered but not interested.” The snarl that formed in response almost made Mayu howl with laughter. Neji was clearly offended. “Besides, I like girls.”

“… _Do_ you though?”

“Shut up, Ma-Sakura.”

“I don’t want to _date_ you,” Neji sneered. “I just want to know your name.”

“Well, I’m not obligated to give that out,” Sasuke answered. Uncaringly, he turned and walked away. “Let’s go,” he told his teammates. Naruto snickered and fell into step with Sasuke.

“This Chuunin Exam is going to be so much fun!” Mayu exclaimed, following her teammates.

The three completely ignored the sound of grinding teeth.

0-0


	12. Gonna Get This Party Started

Eventually, the genin of Team 7 made it to the next floor. After a troubling defeat handed to Naruto and Sasuke by Lee, the two shinobi were not happy now. Both wore heated stares as though it had been Kakashi’s fault. Mayu stood in between them, smile on her face. Truly an experience to see her second favorite ninja in action. She had laughed loudly at her teammates’ expense. They were not happy with her either as a result. The three genin stood and half-heartedly listened to their sensei as he spoke. Mostly, they were eager to move on. However, it seemed that Kakashi was finally wrapping up his speech.

“Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura… I am proud of you,” he stated.

“ _Aww_ …! Sensei!” Mayu dragged a finger underneath her dry eye. “We love you, too!”

“That’s not what I said.”

“Rude.”

“Good luck, you three,” Kakashi continued, smiling beneath his mask. He stepped aside, showing them the door. “I have the upmost faith in this team.”

“We won’t let you down, sensei!” Naruto exclaimed as the three headed towards the door. Sasuke and Mayu pushed them open. Numerous ninja greeted the team with hardened expressions as though their mere presence had annoyed them. “Oh, man! Who knew that there would be so many?”

“Sasuke-kun!” A loud voice greeted. Before Mayu could fully turn, she heard her teammate released a grunt. Upon turning, she saw that Yamanaka Ino had latched onto Sasuke from behind. Her arms tightly wound around Sasuke’s neck. “Where have you been?!” Her question must have been screech levels next to his ear. Sasuke scowled but did nothing to remove the blond kunoichi from his person. Mayu grinned at the scene. “You have no idea how much I was hoping you’d show up here.” Ino smiled sweetly as Sasuke looked back at her. She paid no attention to his annoyed expression.

“Ino-chan…!” Mayu greeted, stepping closer. The girl’s light blue eyes shifted. A friendly smile replaced her sweet one before she hopped off Sasuke’s back. “How are you?”

“Sakura-chan,” she greeted with a nod. “I’m good. Wasn’t expecting to see you here, though.”

“Haha,” Mayu retorted with a roll of her eyes. Then, she grinned again. “Sasuke…” Her voice nearly purred. The Uchiha flinched, apparently sensing where Mayu intended to take this conversation. He shook his head before she could continue. “Oh, don’t be like that! You _promised_.”

“I did not.”

“Losing a bet is the same thing as a promise,” Mayu told him. She pointed a finger. “Now, pay up, jive turkey!” Sasuke stubbornly did not move. “Oh, I see. You’re a shinobi without honor—a silly child.” Mayu crossed her arms, feigning disappointment. “No wonder Lee-san could so easily thrash you.” Sasuke twisted his face into a grimace, absolutely pissed by the reminder of his defeat. He grumbled a bit before sharply turning to Ino. He grabbed her arm and yanked her towards him. Mayu’s eyes widened as Ino stammered out her confusion. With no further warning, Sasuke pressed his lips to the blond kunoichi’s forehead. “ _SasuIno_ forever!” Mayu cheered.

Ino swooned and stumbled back. She would have fallen to the floor if Shikamaru had not caught her. Akimichi Chouji stood beside the genius, appearing both amused and bemused by the scene. Nara Shikamaru only rolled his eyes. “I knew that this was going to be troublesome, but I didn’t know it was going to be this lame,” he commented, looking down at his swirly-eyed teammate. Ino giggled insanely. Sasuke, done with the shenanigans, crossed his arms and huffed. He looked massively irritated, but a pink blush stained his cheeks.

“ _Hn_ …” Sasuke grunted again. “Shut up, M-Sakura!”

“Nope! That was too adorable!”

“So, all three stooges are here?” Naruto muttered.

“Hey, you know what, idiot?!” Shikamaru began. Then half-way through, the fight left him. “ _Ah_ , whatever…! You’re just another troublesome person.”

The three stooges, as Naruto eloquently put it, were genin taught by Sarutobi Asuma. “Well, well, what do ya know?” Another voice caught their attention. Inuzuka Kiba walked forward with Aburame Shino and Hyuga Hinata at his side. He stopped and gave a feral grin. “It looks like the whole gang is back together again.” The genin were under the tutelage of Yūhi Kurenai.

“ _Ah_ … Hello, Na-Naruto-kun,” Hinata greeted softly. Her lavender eyes shifted to Mayu. “And Sakura-chan.” She tilted her head in greeting. “H-How are you doing?” Mayu opened her mouth to answer but Hinata blushed deeply and averted her gaze. Most likely, Naruto had turned his attention on the pretty kunoichi. Mayu quietly sighed, fondly smiling.

**Inner Mayu: Commencing Phase 1 of Operation _NaruHina_! **

“You guys, too, huh?” Shikamaru questioned. With a huff, he finally dropped Ino to the floor, knocking her out of whatever fantasy that had taken hold of her mind. She, of course, shouted and cursed at her teammate. However, the Nara ignored her, returning his focus back to Kiba. “Man, everyone’s here for this troublesome thing.”

Mayu kept the sigh to herself but she stopped listening. Kiba went on to remark about their union, and the others chimed in, keeping the conversation going. She loved the show, really. But people talked too much about useless things. Mayu zoned out, thoughts of _NaruHina_ distracting her quite a bit. However, an unfamiliar voice broke through both her thoughts and the conversation. “Oi… You might want to try keeping it down.” The Rookie 9 turned, watching as a purple-clad ninja walked towards them. Hands on his hips, he halted in front of the group of nine. He gave off an aura of innocence but Mayu still frowned. “I mean no offense… but you’re the nine rookies, right?”

“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” Mayu retorted, glaring. The silver-haired man blinked, seemingly taken aback by the abrupt hostility. “Get away from us.”

“I… I just… wanted to give you advice,” he said. “Making a scene like this will likely cause-”

“I said get away from us. _Now_!” Mayu demanded, stepping forward. “You are an unknown ninja in a Chuunin Exam. Do you think I’d trust anything you had to say? You haven’t even introduced yourself.”

“Oh. Pardon my manners. My name is Yakushi Kabuto,” he responded. The lenses of his glasses glinted under artificial light. Mayu’s expression further hardened. “There’s a lot of people that think rookies don’t deserve to be here. I wouldn’t want you to have a target on your backs.”

“Well, Yakushi-san, consider us _thoroughly_ warned,” Mayu said sarcastically. “Now, do yourself a favor and stay away from team _and_ comrades. Or you won’t have the luxury of taking this exam.”

“Sakura-chan…?” Naruto stepped to her left side, obviously confused. “What’s wrong?”

“I was only-”

“Let’s go.” Mayu sharply turned, making sure to grab Naruto’s hand. She also made a grab for Sasuke’s. Neither shinobi protested as she pulled them along, further into the room. Once they were far enough away, the kunoichi released them and folded her arms over her chest. She sighed harshly, glaring down at the floor.

“What was that about?” Sasuke questioned. “Did that guy deserve it?”

“Probably,” Mayu muttered and shrugged. “He gave me a bad feeling. Like-Like he had some twisted motive for approaching us.”

“What are you talking about?” Naruto asked, locking his fingers behind his head. “I think that guy only wanted to help us.”

“No. You can’t trust everyone, especially for something like this,” Mayu insisted. “There are people in this world that deceive others just for the hell of it. For right now, we can only trust each other. Even our classmates will need to be taken at arms-length. Got it?” For a moment, the two only stared at her. Then, they nodded their heads, seemingly finding her assessment accurate. “Good, now we should-”

A distinct popping noise interrupting. The three looked towards the heard of the classroom. At the front, men and women stood at attention. In the middle, wearing black and sporting scars on his face, a man opened his mouth to speak. “It’s time to begin,” he stated. “I am your proctor, Morino Ibiki.” Mayu furrowed her brow, recognizing him as a torture specialist. “First, you candidates from Sound—knock it off! Who told you that you’re allowed to fight? You wanna fail before we’ve even started?!” Not waiting for a response, Ibiki continued. “Now, if we’re ready, we’ll proceed with the first part of the Chuunin Exam. Hand over your paperwork. In return, each of you will be given a number. This number will determine where you will sit. We’ll start by taking the written test once all of you are seated.”

“Th-The _what_ …?!” Naruto nearly squawked, eyes going wide. “Did he say… written?!” One of the ninja held up a stack of papers, presumably the test. “ _Nooooo_! Not a written test! No way!” Sasuke let a chuckle slip. “Shut up, Sasuke! Why do I have to take a written test?! This is so not fair!”

“I’m sure the future Hokage’s got this,” Sasuke encouraged, mockingly. “ _Dattebayo_.”

“Sasuke…” Mayu scolded flatly. Naruto wailed in displeasure. The Uchiha merely smirked in amusement. “Let’s just turn in our paperwork…”

0-0

Mayu hummed lightly as she twirled a pencil between her fingers. The written portion of the exam forced teammates apart. She could see Naruto from her vantage point. He sat two rows ahead of her. To the right of him, Mayu could see Hinata as well. Sasuke must have been somewhere behind her because she could not see him. Lucky Hinata, though. She was fortunate enough to sit next to her crush. _“Poor me…!”_ Mayu thought, sighing. So far away from Gaara and Lee. Not that she thought of either shinobi as a crush. Her thirteen-year-old self would not fall prey to such a thing until another two years. Maybe. Still, she would rather not like someone for their looks.

“Like I said before, there will be no questions! So, if any of you didn’t hear what I just said, then tough shit!” Ibiki’s voice boomed, startling Mayu out of her thoughts. She flinched, hoping whatever instruction hadn’t been too important. “With that being said… begin!” Taking a deep breath, the kunoichi flipped her paper over. She remembered this episode a bit. Many of the characters complained of the difficulty of this test. However, the questions were not important. It was how the ninja obtained answers without being caught. Clever. Still, Mayu did not believe she could effectively cheat even as a ninja. Honestly, she had been a hard-working student who never had to cheat. So, she couldn’t begin to figure out a way to do that. Fortunately, she could distinctly remember only the last question being the deciding factor whether a ninja passed or failed this portion.

Curious, she examined the first question. It was a puzzle. Blinking a few times, she began writing. It did not take too long for her to crack the code. _“One truth really does prevail,”_ she thought, moving on to the next. She hummed again, realizing the second question was based on math. None of her books at home would ever use a shuriken as an object but if she substituted for something practical… Like that, she read over the question again, confirming her theory. The source behind these questions were probably not taught in ninja Academies. No wonder so many believed them to be difficult. However, Mayu had learned these types of subject matter on the daily basis before coming to this world. Honestly, these questions weren’t that hard, but she understood why cheating seemed the only option for a lot of these people.

Sighing, Mayu continued filling out the answers. Might as well do something to pass the time. She was almost positive this portion of the exam took an entire hour. Still, she wished she had a calculator. Fifteen minutes later, she finished the test. Almost groaning, she sat back in her seat. Tests in school did not take an entire hour to complete. What could she do now? Pressing her lips together, narrowed her eyes. _“Actually…”_ she thought, sitting up straight. Now might be a good time to test herself. Green eyes glanced around the room. Only the scratching of pencils against paper echoed in the room. _“I could help Naruto out, too.”_ Deciding, Mayu gathered her chakra and discreetly formed hand seals. “ **Ishikari Style** ,” she muttered under her breath. She aimed the ram seal at the back of her teammate. “ **Mind Transfer Jutsu**.”

The familiar rush returned like wind against her veins. All too soon, it was over. Mayu opened her eyes, finding herself closer to the front of the classroom. Like the times before, it worked. She lifted her hand, noting the tanned skin of her blond teammate. Hopefully, Naruto would not freak out. Ha. Honestly, he probably wouldn’t notice. Too busy freaking out about the test to realize someone had swapped with his body. The shinobi had been clutching his head before the switch, after all. Mayu picked up the pencil lying next to the paper and began quickly writing down the answers she had already figured out.

Only when she was nearly done with the answers did Mayu hear the slight squeak from beside her. She turned her head a bit to see Hinata’s pale eyes on her. Mayu saw the subtle confusion in her friend’s eyes. Ah. She had made a mistake. Naruto was right-handed, and yet she had been using the left hand to write. Of course, the pretty Hyuga would notice something amiss. Mayu only smiled at her. Hinata’s cheeks turned pink and she averted her stare for a second. All right then, stubborn girl. Mayu easily turned her smile into a foxy grin and winked at her fellow kunoichi. That had done the trick. The Hyuga squeaked again, louder than before, and then hurriedly focused on her own test. Her ears became a brilliant shade of red.

 _“So cute…!”_ Mayu thought, holding back a squeal. She returned to the paper before her and scribbled the last answer in. Then, she shrugged, writing in the corner of the page. NaruHina with tiny hearts surrounding the word. At the top of the paper, she wrote _Future Lord Hokage Crown Prince of Ramen_ above Naruto’s name. A slight giggle left her. “Release…!” she whispered. Again, the rush came, and she found herself back in Sakura’s body. Flicking the pink tresses away from her face, Mayu relaxed in her seat. _“All according to cake.”_ Still, that did not take much time. What else could she do for the rest of the allotted time? A smile spread on her face. _“Everybody was kung-fu fighting…!”_ she sang in thought.

“All right, listen up!” Mayu slowly opened her eyes. Apparently, she had fallen asleep during her mental concert. “That includes you, pinkie!” She sat up and blinked the blurry from her eyesight. A hand covered a yawn while the other wiped the crud from her eyes. “Here’s the tenth and final question!” Mayu blinked rapidly, forcing herself to pay attention. “Before I give you the tenth question, there are some rules…” Mayu rolled her eyes. Talk, talk, talk—when would it end? “These rules correspond with question ten, so please try not to get scared.”

“Or sleepy.”

“Who said that?! WHO THE FUCK SAID THAT?!” Scared, Mayu sat low in her seat, trying to appear invisible. She had not meant to say it aloud. How had he even heard her from this distance? Making a face, the kunoichi innocently hummed even as she felt her desk mate eyeing her. “Very well… I’ll find you later.” Eyes wide, Mayu could only stare in terror. “Rule number one: each of you can choose whether or not to be given the final question. This question is so harsh that it will test your very soul! If you get it right, you automatically pass the test. If you get it wrong, not only do you fail but you can never take the exam again!”

Of course, this generated major complaints. Mayu was half-surprised that her own teammate did not loudly protest. After all, how dare this random ninja deny him a chance at becoming Hokage? Not on his watch. Huffing a bit, the kunoichi half-heartedly listened as Ibiki laughed and explained, making himself seem as threatening as possible. Joke’s on him. She was already terrified from his earlier threat. Others took his explanation to heart and suddenly stood up. Several ninja left the classroom, not wanting to risk their careers on a single question they might get wrong. Then, Uzumaki Naruto lifted his hand. Mayu blinked and shook her head, not remembering that bit.

“DON’T UNDERESTIMATE ME!” he shouted, slamming the same hand back down.

Mayu silently breathed out a sigh of relief. _“Do you have to be so dramatic, Naruto?”_ she thought, listening to her teammate declare his intentions. Despite the dramatics, Mayu realized that he had inspired the remaining ninja to stay put. Many of them were smiling, too. _“He really has what it takes to become Hokage.”_ Sure, she knew what the end game was. Kishimoto would be a fool if he did not allow his protagonist to reach that dream. But it was nice to see the trajectory. _“Nothing but respect for my future Hokage.”_

Ibiki took a step forward. “I admire your determination,” he said. “For those of you remaining, there’s only one thing left to do…” He released a sigh. “And that’s for me to tell you… that you’ve all passed the first part of the Chuunin Exam.” The man had the nerve to smile. Many ninja present threw erasers and pencils. Mayu did not think he could have dodged them all even if he had tried. Ibiki pointedly coughed, apparently deciding not to retaliate. He began explaining why others failed and how important it was to gather information. He showed injuries he had undertaken on his own mission, and even provided a hypothetical mission as an example. Oh, the joys of learning.

“Alright! We did it!” Naruto exclaimed, jumping from his seat. Too elated by the news, he hugged the one closest to him. Hinata, of course, fainted in his arms. Naruto went on cheering, unaware that the kunoichi had gone limp. “We the best! Yeah!” 

Chuckling to herself, Mayu turned around in her seat in search of Sasuke. Her eyes quickly found his. He smirked as though he had known all along. He probably freaked out just as much as Naruto at one point. Catching her stare, Sasuke focused on her. He gave a nod and she nodded in return. The sound of glass breaking caused the kunoichi to whirl around again. Ibiki had vanished and a large black banner extended from the window to the opposite wall. A woman in a trench coat had replaced Ibiki at the front of the class. Mayu blinked at such a flashy entrance.

“I’ll be your next proctor! Mitarashi Anko!” the kunoichi introduced herself. “Ready for your next test?!” Before anyone could even wrap their heads around the entrance, let alone answer her, the woman shot a fist above her head. “Good! Follow me!” No one reacted for several moment. Then, someone coughed awkwardly, breaking the silence. Ibiki stepped out from behind the banner and told her she was early. Anko looked mildly embarrassed because of this. Clearing her throat, the kunoichi lowered her arm. Her light brown eyes assessed the remaining ninja. “ _Hm_ … It could be, but they sure don’t look it. Trust me, before I’m done with ‘em, more than half of ‘em will be gone,” she commented, hands on her hips. “This is gonna be fun.” A smirk appeared on her face. “You may have had it easy so far, but things are gonna be different starting first thing tomorrow morning! I’ll let your squad leaders know where you’re to meet me. Dismissed.”

0-0

Ibiki walked down the rows collecting the written tests. Outside, the sun was setting. The torture specialist stopped for a moment to gaze at its beauty. Back to picking up papers, Ibiki noticed something off with one of the papers. He furrowed his brow in confusion. It wasn’t every day that you see something like this, after all.

“The hell is _NaruHina_?”

0-0

“This is the second location for the next stage in the exam,” Anko stated. Her piercing gaze struck mild fear in the hearts of the genin. But it was the restricted area behind her that caused the rookies to shiver. Behind the gates was an enormous forest. Many genin felt the sense of foreboding from it. “It’s a battle training zone… But we call it the _Forest of Death_.” Her malevolent smile did not quell the quick beating of their hearts.

Green eyes gaped at massive forest. She knew exactly what came from entering this place. Because of that, she could not calm her nerves. Her legs wobbled involuntarily. This arc was a favorite for several reasons. However, there were several other reasons why she despised it. The creatures in this forest for one. Snakes. Orochimaru. The application of a cursed seal— _juinjutsu_. Slightly afraid, Mayu swallowed hard. She hadn’t had much thought as to what her presence might alter this time around. Anything might happen. But she vowed to not stand around. Whatever this forest might throw at her, she would not falter. She would protect her teammates as best she could. Her eyes shifted to her oblivious teammate. _“I will not let this become what it was before.”_

Uchiha Sasuke stared into the forest as if he were fascinated by the very aura it gave off. Mayu turned her gaze to the ground. She didn’t want him or Naruto to get hurt. Before, it was just a show. The characters got hurt before. But it did not matter because they weren’t real. Now, everything was real. Too real. Even her growing feelings for her teammates were real. Mayu looked to Naruto. Her blond teammate ran back and forth from a rock. A moving rectangular prism. A pink brow twitched. She did not remember this so she must have skipped it. Seconds later, the rock exploded, leaving behind pink, blue, and yellow smoke. The three ninja-in-training nearly hacked out their lungs as the smoke slowly dissipated.

Mayu shook her head, disappointed. She watched her teammate converse with the little ones. Eventually, their conversation caused Anko to walk over, wondering the reason for the commotion. Apparently, the kids had an assignment to interview ninja. It was scheduled, and so the jounin announced a ten-minute break. “Sweet…! That means I can rest before I take it!” Mayu almost jumped up in excitement. She wandered away from the restricted area, hoping to find a shaded tree she could lay under. Not a moment after she spotted a good place, she paused her walk and turned around. “Is there a reason you’re following me?”

“ _Hn_.”

“Is that supposed to be an answer?” She frowned. Sasuke made another sound, and then turned his head away. Mayu stared at her teammate with a flat look. “Alright, bird brain. I’ll bite.” She beckoned him with a finger and continued her way to the tree she had spotted. She heard his footsteps behind her, so whatever Sasuke wanted to talk about must have been important. The kunoichi turned and sat down at the base of the tree. Sighing, she leaned back and shut her eyes. “What’s up?” she asked. She heard him sit down as well.

“It’s nothing, really,” he began. “I just wanted to ask you if you’ve been practicing what I showed you.”

Mayu blinked.

Sasuke blinked.

Mayu gave a nervous chuckle.

Sasuke gave a heated glare.

“ _You’re_ the one who begged for me to show you that jutsu and yet you’re not even practicing?!” The Uchiha felt insulted. He folded his arms. Mayu had come to him, _in the middle of the night_ , and demanded that he show her the hand seals. Maybe he did taunt her before showing her, but still…! It had been the middle of the night. Sasuke had thought she was another fan girl. Anyway, she should not have laughed at him for screaming— _uh_ … giving a _manly shout_ of surprise.

Mayu huffed indignantly. Seriously, Sasuke couldn’t take a joke, could he? “ _Relax_ , dude! I was kidding,” she waved off his fierce look as if he were nothing.

“Have you mastered it yet?”

“Probably…?”

“I cannot believe I have to associate myself with you.” The green-eyed kunoichi rubbed under her nose, deciding to ignore that. “What about that weird jutsu? Are you noticing anything else when you do it?” Mayu shrugged. “Well, use it on me right now. I want to see if you’re able to copy my Sharingan.”

She only turned her head, closing her eyes as she did. “I don’t want to reveal something like that right now.” She crossed her arms. “And besides, the other teams are looking at us. I don’t know if it’s because of you surname or if they’re expecting us to kiss or something, but I don’t want them knowing.” Sasuke make a face at her comment. Mayu glared. “Glad to know I’m so _repulsive_ in your eyes,” she muttered, sarcastically.

“Yeah, whatever,” Sasuke had the nerve to smirk.

“Clench your teeth, bird boy!”

Before Sasuke could retort, Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi came towards them. His dark eyes turned to the younger children. “Hey, Sasuke…!” Udon was the first to speak. “You’re the coolest! When I look at you, I see my future self!” Mayu snorted, trying to stifle an obnoxious laugh. As if he could sense her mind thinking of him with a runny nose, Sasuke threw eye daggers at his teammate. “Do you mind if I get a few things from you for our article?”

“Sure, why not?” He gave in. Mayu smiled, thinking he was a big softy. “Might as well set the record straight. I’m sure that idiot told you many lies.” The smile disappeared.

“Shut up, Sasuke!” Naruto walked towards the group. “They came to interview me, not you!”

“They came to interview everyone. There are other ninja here, you know?” Sasuke stated. “ _Dattebayo_ …” he mocked Naruto, causing the blond shinobi to growl. Sasuke growled right back.

“I’m never gonna get that nap, am I?” Mayu muttered with a huff. She, along with Konohamaru’s group, watched the two go back and forth, bickering like four-year-old children. Mayu turned towards the three interviewers. “As you can see, Naruto and Sasuke have a bitter rivalry thing going on,” she told them. The kids wrote down some things in their handy-dandy notebooks. “Honestly, though, I think they act like brothers. They love each other deep inside. Deep, _deep_ down. I’m sure this bitter rivalry will end up being a healthy relationship.”

“What about you, Haruno-san?” Moegi asked. “Do you have a rival?”

“Nope! Can’t say I do,” Mayu answered with a grin. “Though, there are several people I want to fight—to spar with, really. I wouldn’t consider any of them a _rival_... Maybe I should?”

“I see,” Moegi furrowed her brow and furiously wrote in her notepad.

“Hey, do you have someone you like?” Konohamaru asked. He held his pinky up. “Someone like this?! Is it the boss, or his rival?” Mayu did not notice that the bickering between her teammates had ended.

“No way do I like those guys like that!” Mayu giggled at the silly question. “But there is someone who I _kinda_ like. In a few years, maybe I’ll date him if he’s interested.”

“What’s his name?” Udon asked, sniffling.

“Rock Lee—the greatest taijutsu user in this generation!” Mayu stated proudly. “A total _husbando_! Make sure you write that down— _husbando_. He’s amazing.” She sighed in a dreamlike fashion. “I bet he’ll be even better in a few years!”

“WHAT…?!” Naruto shouted, causing Mayu to snap out of her daydream. The four looked towards the blond ninja in surprise. “What’s that loser got that I don’t?!”

A pink eyebrow twitched.

“ _Tch_ … I thought she was joking before but this...”

The other eyebrow twitched twice.

Mayu stood up calmly and stood behind her pensive teammates. They were none the wiser as they continued to insult. “Why would anyone like a guy with bushy eyebrows like that, anyway?” Naruto ranted. “I mean they’re _huge_!”

“Caterpillars and cocoons belong together. That’s the only explanation.”

“Why don’t you guys…” Mayu began. Sasuke and Naruto flinched, and then looked up She had this calm, eerie look on her face. Naruto could have sworn he saw lightning strike behind her. Sasuke could have sworn flames surrounded her and she appeared to be bigger, almost giant. The girl moved her hands, easily pressing against the sides of their heads. “Combine your last two brain cells?!” She abruptly slammed their noggins together, expression morphing into demonic. Then, she stomped away, uncaring of their pained groans as they withered on the ground.

Konohamaru hesitantly poked his boss with a stick. Udon proceeded to do the same with Sasuke. Moegi stared at Mayu’s back as she moved further away. “So cool…! I wanna be just like her!” she exclaimed. The young kunoichi-in-training clasped her hands together in admiration.

0-0

Team 7 stared at their proctor expectantly. Actually, Naruto nearly gawked at the forest behind her. His hand perched over his eyes as if he were attempting to investigate the forest from his vantage point. Sasuke resisted rolling his eyes at the idiotic actions of his fellow teammate. His eyes drifted over to his other teammate. In her green eyes, he saw mild fear. It was strange seeing that certain emotion. Usually, she would make a joke out of dangerous situations. Sasuke moved closer to her.

“Are you okay?” he asked, not taking his eyes off the gates that lead into the forest. Mayu took a quick glance at her companion, and then focused on the tall trees.

“What do you mean?”

“You usually stare into the face of danger and laugh.”

“Correction: I stare into the face of danger and crack a very humorous joke.”

“Forgive me for getting that wrong.” Sasuke almost rolled his eyes again. “Scared…?”

“Definitely.”

“As you should be.” Anko must have heard their conversation. Her predatory eyes settled on Sasuke and Mayu. She grinned at them. “It’s not called the _Forest of Death_ for nothing. And soon enough, you’re going to find out why.” Naruto didn’t like the way Anko practically insulted his teammate. Sakura was just being honest, after all! To show his disdain, he openly mocked what Anko had said, while doing a little pose of some sorts.

“Do your worst! You’re not going to scare me away!” Naruto shouted, once he stopped wiggling around. Both Sasuke and Mayu looked away in embarrassment. “I can handle _anything_!” Anko merely smiled. On the inside, though, she was fuming. How dare that brat try to make a fool of her!

“So…” She continued to smile despite her hidden feelings. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves a tough guy.” A kunai smoothly slipped into her hand from her sleeve. She quickly threw the deadly weapon at Naruto. The kunai glided pass Naruto’s face and landed near another ninja. Seconds later, a cut appeared on Naruto’s cheek. Blood seeped through the open wound.

 _“Now Naruto’s pissing off the proctors! I’m just glad it wasn’t me this time.”_ Mayu watched Anko vanish, and then re-emerge behind her teammate.

The jounin whispered something in Naruto’s ear. And Sasuke had to wonder why his green-eyed teammate made a face of revulsion. He shrugged and passed it off as Mayu just being Mayu.

His eyes strayed to Naruto and Anko again. He was surprised to see that another ninja had appeared behind the older kunoichi. Sasuke’s eyebrows knitted together as he stared. This… person had a long tongue. And in their tongue was a kunai. _“What the hell?”_ Dark eyes stayed trained on them as they moved back towards their teammates. Sasuke noticed that they winked at him as they passed by. He grimaced, not liking the shiver that ran up his spine. He also noticed that Mayu glared at them. The same glare she had given to that Kabuto person. His gaze lingered on his teammate, briefly wondering about her behavior. Her reactions would only make sense if she knew them. However, they should be perfect strangers to her.

He made a mental note to ask her about it later. After the exam, maybe? His thoughts of Mayu’s strange behavior towards foreign ninja were interrupted by a random ninja passing him a stack of papers. He scanned over the words. _“A consent form…”_ He took one and passed it to Mayu, who took one and passed it on. His attention focused on Anko again.

“… First, I’ll give you a description of the terrain of the practice field.” She held up a scroll with a diagram of the forest. “There are 44 locked entrance gates surrounding this forest. There are rivers inside this battle zone. In the middle of the forest lies a tower. It’s ten kilometers from each gate. It’s in this area that you will undergo the survival test. The test consists of…” Anko put away the scroll and pulled out two more scrolls. “… _Anything goes_ battle to get your hands on these scrolls.” She held them up for all to see.

“ _Both_ of them?” Sasuke asked.

“Yes,” Anko replied. “You’ll be fighting to get both a Heaven scroll and an Earth scroll.” Every single participant of the exam looked on, waiting for her to continue. “All together, 26 teams will be taking part in this test, so half of those teams will go after an Earth scroll and the other half try to take the Heaven scroll. I’ll hand over one type of scroll to each team.”

“Right, but how do we pass this test?” Sasuke asked.

“You _obviously_ get the opposite scroll, so you can have two scrolls. Once you have both, you go to the tower in the middle. That’s how you pass.” Mayu’s explanation might have been okay if she hadn’t used such an obnoxious condescending voice. She then had the nerve to grin at Sasuke with teasing eyes. “Honestly, Sasuke,” she continued in the same smug tone. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure _that_ out!” She laughed arrogantly as she crossed her arms, feeling superior. Her superior reign didn’t last very long because Sasuke brought down his hand upon her head in a slicing motion. “ _OW_ …! The god of birds has beaten me for my disrespect! _Oh_ , the pain...!” Mayu fell to her knees and clutched her head. Her tears fell like waterfalls.

“Quit being so overdramatic,” Sasuke said, crossing his arms and averting his stare elsewhere. He didn’t feel the least bit guilty over what he had done. All around them, genin sweated, nervous smiles tugging at their lips. Anko chuckled at the amusing scene.

“Like the girl said, you are to bring both scrolls to the tower,” she stated. “Oh, yeah… By the way, the test has a time limit. If you can’t get both scrolls and make it to the tower in five days, you automatically fail.” Multiple teams gasped in astonishment. Chouji’s gasp might have been the loudest. After all, five days without food meant death. Survival test, indeed. “If you get hungry, all you have to do is look around. There are plenty of things to eat in the forest,” Anko stated, purposely looking towards Chouji. The bigger genin looked almost relieved.

“Yeah, but… that’s not the only thing the forest has plenty of. There are carnivorous animals and man-eating plants in there as well,” Kabuto thought it would be nice to let the others know.

“ _Arrgh_! Why do you always have to open your big fat mouth?! Why don’t you hold all of our hands and tell us step by step what to expect since you’re so naturally gifted with knowledge?!” Mayu shouted. Many stared wide-eyed at the girl, Kabuto included. “No…? Then shut up!” The glasses-wearing ninja retreated backwards away from the irate girl. Mayu huffed and crossed her arms. “Please continue, Anko-sensei.”

“Well, _anyway_ … This test will also measure endurance behind enemy lines,” Anko placed her hands on her hips. “This is designed to be a grueling test and I’m sure some of you won’t be up to the challenge.” Shikamaru raised his hand and asked if he could quit while taking the test. “Of course not. You can’t say ‘I quit’ in the middle of a battle and expect to just walk away. You’ll get yourself killed like that.”

“Troublesome…”

“There are also some ways you can get disqualified,” Anko continued, and then began listing the reasons a team could fail, one being not to open the scrolls until you reach the tower. “Okay, we’re done. Each team, take your consent forms and exchange them over there for your scrolls.” She pointed over to a small booth, where three ninja sat. “After that, each team will pick a gate and wait there until you’re let inside.” Anko gave a lazy type of sigh. “Oh, and a word of advice… JUST DON’T DIE!”

Mayu blinked in surprise. That expression then turned dull. “Thanks for the encouragement, Anko-sensei…” she muttered with her shoulders hunched over. No wonder not many made it out of the forest. The support she gave was horrible. The woman opened her mouth. “Wait—let me guess. You’re here all week?”

“Except Saturdays and Sundays, pinkie!” The jounin clicked her tongue and winked.

Mayu grumbled.

0-0

Before long, the genin separated. Some of them, like Sasuke and Naruto, decided to read their consent forms on their own. It was because of this that Mayu glared down at her chicken butt-haired styled teammate. He was sitting against the large rock. He didn’t seem to notice Mayu’s presence. She guessed that he was too busying looking around at everyone else. Her pink eyebrow twitched.

Anko stopped a few meters from the two. _“That Uchiha seems to be really involved with this test,”_ she thought. A smirk appeared as her vision shifted up to the girl above him. _“A little too involved, I’d say.”_ She watched a grin slowly materialize on the girl’s face. She suddenly leapt off the rock and crashed landed onto the unknowing Uchiha. Anko chuckled as he began yelling at her while rubbing his abused head. The girl only fell over laughing. “This _is_ going to be fun,” she muttered.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Sasuke almost growled. “Do you get little kicks by doing that?!”

“What—you thought I was a fan girl again?” Mayu smirked.

“I told you not to ever talk about that!”

“And I’m sure you already know I rarely listen to you…” She waved him off, uncaringly. “That’s what you get for leaving me behind!”

Sasuke’s eyes turned white and angry as he towered over Mayu, who looked quite terrified now. “That’s what you’re _supposed_ to do!” He hoisted the girl up and gave her a swift kick in the rump, which sent her flying. “Now go read the form and leave me the hell alone!” he called after her.

Mayu landed a few meters away on her back. _“Why does Sasuke treat me this way…?”_ she thought, standing. She rubbed her poor mistreated butt as she stalked away from the rude Uchiha. She held the paper in front of her face. Might as well read the darn thing before signing it. Her pink eyebrows furrowed together as she read some of the things the form said. It was ridiculous. If one were to die during the exam, their home country could not declare war. If a ninja were to be on the brink of death, no medical attention would be provided. If a ninja attacked a proctor, it would be considered an act of treason and that proctor has the right to kill that ninja. “ _Whoa_ … This is exam is no joke.”

“Sakura-chan…!” A voice caused Mayu to look up from her paper. She saw Ino and her team coming towards her. She paused her walk as the bleach-blond kunoichi reached her.

“Ino-chan, how’s it going?” Mayu asked, smiling. Ino laughed haughtily as if she ruled the world. The green-eyed girl grimaced, wondering if she should retreat. Her teammates sighed heavily. “I guess things are going great, huh?”

“Well, _duh_! I got kissed by _Sasuke-kun_!” She punched the sky with her fist. Mayu wondered why the sky never punched back. The sky was a wuss. “Sakura-chan, you’re the coolest friend ever! Getting Sasuke-kun to kiss me, I mean. I could die happy right at this moment.” Mayu smirked.

“Yeah, he’s scared of me now.” She proudly tilted her head from side to side and puffed out her chest. “I can totally get him to do anything I want!”

“Hey… I wanted to ask you something…” Ino hesitated before speaking again. “What or who made you quit liking Sasuke-kun suddenly? It’s not like you to give up.”

“I didn’t give up! I just didn’t want him anymore, that’s all!” Mayu replied indignantly. “Besides,” she smiled. “I found someone bigger and better than bird boy!”

“Eh…?! _Better_ than Sasuke-kun? I don’t believe it!” Mayu looked around, grinned, and then pointed out the person that was supposedly better than Uchiha Sasuke. “ _Aaahhh_!” Ino screamed in shock when her blue eyes inspected the one Mayu pointed out. “That hair, that outfit… th-those _eyebrows_!” She turned back to her friend with a look of disbelief. “You don’t mean that green freak, do you?!”

Mayu nodded. “ _That’s_ the one!” she replied with a toothy grin. “I’m probably gonna marry him one day. _SakuLee_ for life!” Ino gaped at her as if she had grown an extra head. What happened to her friend? Had she lost her mind?! “Oh, don’t look at me like that. If I date, it would be for _personality_ not looks. He’s cute, anyway.”

“You’ve gone blind in our time apart!” Ino accused. Mayu rolled her eyes. “Are you under a genjutsu then? Should I go kick his ass?”

“Okay, okay, so he’s not perfect!” Mayu stopped Ino from stomping towards Lee. “What about him?” she asked, pointing towards someone else. Ino blinked.

“Slightly better, but you went from big eyebrows to _no_ eyebrows,” she commented.

“ _Oi_ …! That’s what makes him look like a panda! I _like_ pandas,” Mayu stated. “I’m sure that I won’t marry that one, though. So, if you ever mature enough to stop liking boring bird boy, I’d support _GaaIno_.”

“What the _hell_ are you on about, Sakura?!”

“Is this _all_ girls talk about?” Chouji asked his friend.

“Troublesome…” Shikamaru said a shake of his head.

“Don’t be silly, Akimichi-san,” Mayu said, turning towards the shinobi. She grinned. “Girls only talk about boys in front of boys so that they won’t ever know the devious and malicious plans we can come up with.” Chouji blanched in surprised, and perhaps horror.

“She’s right,” Ino agreed, placing her hands on her hips. She mirrored her fellow kunoichi’s grin. “You’ll never know what girls truly talk about when silly boys aren’t around.” In unison, the two kunoichi stuck out their tongues before giggling. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

“Okay! We’re ready to begin handing out scrolls!” someone called out. “Please collect your teammates and make your way over to this area!”

“Oh, guess I got to go! See you around, Ino!” Mayu took off, waving.

Five minutes later, she met up with her teammates. They were already in line. Naruto greeted her with his normal grin. Mayu smiled in return. “Did you both already sign your form?” she asked. They nodded. “Can you believe what it said? You two better not get any lethal injuries.”

“And what about you?” Sasuke asked.

“I’ma beast. _I’m_ not about to get hurt.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Sasuke stated, rolling his eyes. “Did you sign your form?” Mayu pressed her lips together and looked elsewhere. “You’re hopeless.” Despite the comment, the Uchiha handed her a pencil. He then turned around, gesturing to his back. Mayu chuckled a bit and pressed the sheet of paper to his back. Quickly, she signed and said her thanks. “We’re next,” Sasuke stated, turning. He collected the forms from his teammates.

“I can’t wait!” Naruto said, wiggling in place.

“Next!” A shout came from behind the curtain. The three quickly moved forward. Sasuke handed in the forms and waited. The man stared at the top form. “Okay, I’m pretty sure your name isn’t Fifth Hokage, Granddaddy Master of Ramen Uzumaki Naruto, first of his name, Protector of the Leaf-” Sasuke looked at the blond in question. Naruto only grinned. The Uchiha sighed and rubbed two fingers in between his brow. “-But at least you got your name on there. Here you go.” The man handed over a Heaven scroll. “Good luck and don’t die.” The team walked out from behind the curtain after successfully hiding their scroll.

“What a nice guy,” Naruto commented.

“That’s because he didn’t see what _I_ wrote!” Mayu chirped. She held up both fists. “Let’s more than do our best, guys! Let’s _rock_ this exam!”

“ _Oh_ yeah!” Naruto agreed, mirroring his teammate’s stance. “We’re gonna show them all what Team 7 is made of!”

“And _who_ is Team 7 trained by?” Mayu asked.

“The best,” Sasuke answered, smirking.

“So, bow down like the rest!”

Three voices resonated in unison.

0-0


	13. Cold-Hearted Snake

A scream caused Naruto and Sasuke to flinch. They looked back at their teammate. She, too, looked back. The two boys noticed her body shaking. "Would you stop screaming already? You've been doing it for the past six minutes," Sasuke muttered. "It was just another bug. It's not going to come and get you." The green-eyed kunoichi rounded on him, clearly pissed.

"Thanks for the reassurance, _bird brain_ , but that wasn't me this time!" Mayu turned her head back towards where the scream came from. Then sharply turned around again. "And for the record... that thing was _huge_!" Naruto suddenly laughed.

"Yeah, that's what she said!" Two pairs of eyes glared at the laughing blond. He was completely ignorant of their fierce looks. Naruto abruptly stopped laughing. Mayu stepped to him with a concerned look on her face, asking about his wellbeing. "... Gotta pee," he answered, and then proceeded to turn around and fiddle with his pants.

Before Naruto could unzip, Mayu kicked him in the back, causing him to fall over. "Don't piss in front of me!" She pointed in a random direction. "Go find a bush you uncultured swine!" Naruto stood up with a pout, and then walked away. Mayu crossed her arms. That kid had not a smidgen of decency in him. Mayu heard Sasuke chuckle. "What?!"

"Your face is red."

“ _Eff_ you!”

Moments later, Naruto's moaning reached their ears, signaling the end of his relief. Mayu grimaced, wondering why her teammate had decided to do that. Gross. Naruto stumbled through the bush he had chosen. "I peed a lot!" Naruto fixed his pants with a satisfied sigh. "That felt good!" He walked over to the two with a goofy smile.

An eyebrow twitched. "Naruto, couldn't you have-" Green eyes scanned over her teammate. A small frown emerged on her face. She stood beside Sasuke as she finished. "-gone before we entered the forest?!" Without warning, Sasuke punched the blond ninja. Blood shot out of his mouth as he hurtled backwards. Naruto hit a tree as a strangled gasp escaped his mouth. He looked at Sasuke in surprise as he rubbed his chin. “Sasuke…?!”

"What did you do that for...?" Naruto complained.

Before Sasuke could respond, Mayu hit him over the head. "What the hell are you doing?!" The Uchiha glared at her. Her punches _hurt_. He had bitten his tongue as well. Mayu obviously did not care. "Stop treating Naruto as if you _hate_ him! I know you got a rivalry thing going on, but that’s no excuse!”

“But he’s-”

“No buts…! _Jeez_! You’re acting like a five-year-old!” Mayu walked over to Naruto and knelt beside him. She wrapped a comforting arm around Naruto’s shoulder. “It’s okay now, Naruto-kun! I’m here.” Sasuke clenched his jaw, watching the scene in front of him. He could not say he liked this situation. Mayu had interrupted before he could reveal the imposter. Someone had switched places with their teammate. However, he couldn’t possibly reveal that now. The enemy had gained an unknowing hostage. Sasuke frowned deeply. Honestly, it was a surprise that Mayu could have fallen for- Wait. Naruto- _kun_ …? “Let me fix you up a bit,” Mayu replied, fishing in her holster. “I have something that’ll take the sting away.”

“That’s great…” Blue eyes rained on the dark-haired shinobi. Then his eyes moved to the girl. She was still busy looking through her things to notice. “You’re a _big_ help, Sakura-chan.”

“ _Ah_ , here it is!” Before the ninja could make his move, he found a kunai at his neck. Sasuke allowed himself to smirk. Biggest trickster indeed. Mayu grabbed the back of the imposter’s head, sliding the tip of the projectile against his throat. “Let me take that sting away with this!” Blue eyes looked down at the kunai, and then to the smiling kunoichi. “Unless you want the sting to be taken on a permanent basis, you’d better tell me where my teammate is.”

“S-Sakura-chan! Wh-What are you talking about?! I _am_ your teammate!”

“I don’t think so,” Mayu said. “I’m gonna get angry if you don’t fess up right now!”

“You’d better listen,” Sasuke advised, crossing his arms. “She trembles when she’s angry.” More feeble protests left the imposter’s mouth. Mayu purposely shook her hand. The tip of the kunai grazed skin, drawing a red line. The feeble protests immediately stopped. “Tell us where Naruto is, and you might make it through this exam in one piece.”

“So, you figured it out, huh?” The imposter lost the frightened look and sucked his teeth in annoyance. With a popping sound, smoke suddenly hid his form as well as Mayu. Sasuke heard his teammate yelp. Without warning, the ninja pushed himself from the ground, taking Mayu with him. Sasuke watched, bloodline already triggered. The foreign ninja hailed from the Rain village. The genin laughed smugly as he landed on top of a large tree branch, hugging Mayu close, kunai aimed at her stomach. The situation had been reversed too easily for his liking.

“Let her go!” Sasuke demanded, images of his teammate closing her eyes for good flickering through his mind. He clenched his teeth. The enemy already had two hostages. Again, he felt powerless. Not again… Not again… The Uchiha realized his body trembled. “Let her go or you won’t make it out of this!”

“Big words coming from a rookie!” the nameless ninja taunted. “But, sure, I’ll let her go as soon as you hand over your scroll!” Sasuke frowned deeply, scolding himself for forgetting so quickly. Obviously, the foreign ninja wanted the scroll. Not her life. Sasuke shifted his focus on Mayu. Honestly, it was a surprised she hadn’t initiated an attack on the ninja. Then, he realized the reason for her abnormally passive reaction to this ninja.

Smirking, Sasuke quickly formed hand seals. “ **Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu**!” He spewed several balls of fire from his mouth. They rapidly sped towards the enemy. The nameless ninja cried out, taken by surprise. He jumped away from the attack, turning his gaze to Sasuke. Glaring, the enemy landed on another branch.

“You would attack your own teammate?!” The ninja pointed the kunai at him. Sasuke scoffed lightly. “If I had known you hated her, I wouldn’t have taken her in the first place!” He lifted his arm, aiming the tip of the kunai at Mayu. “Oh well! I guess I’ll just do away with her right now!” With no further warning, the enemy jabbed the blade deep into Mayu’s body.

“SASUKE…!” Naruto’s shout echoed through the forest, distracting the Uchiha from the sight. It wasn’t long before the blond ninja stood beside him. “Don’t tell me you let this creep get the drop on you!”

“Idiots shouldn’t project their own shortcomings,” Sasuke retorted.

“How did you escape?!” The nameless ninja’s shout caused Naruto to grin.

He stuck up his middle finger at the Rain ninja. “Don’t underestimate me or my team!” Naruto exclaimed. The foreign ninja looked incredulous, and then his gaze shifted to the girl, only to realize that he was holding a small tree trunk in his arm the entire time. “That’s right! You came for the wrong team, asshole!”

“NO!”

“You’ve…” The sudden voice caused the ninja to gasp, and then turn. “… been _logged_!” Mayu shouted, punching the surprised ninja. His body twisted as he fell from the tree branch. Sasuke swiftly jumped up, holding a kunai. Not missing a beat, he pierced the enemy’s skin, pushing the kunai deeper and deeper.

“Try to stab my teammate, will you?” Sasuke mocked as the ninja gaped at him. Blood spattered on the Uchiha’s face, but he did not care now. The second his deadly weapon made contact with the Rain ninja, a feeling of satisfaction came over him. Revenge was sweet… He could only imagine how killing his brother would make him feel. It gave him chills just thinking about it.

The Rain shinobi, oblivious to Sasuke’s dark thoughts, grunted in pain. He pushed him away, and then fled, thinking about how unlucky he was to have come alone. Blood gushed out of his open chest wound as he ran away. Sasuke’s feet finally touched the forest floor. He panted lightly. Adrenaline still rushed through his veins from that small encounter. Mayu jumped from her position on the tree branch. She now stood beside Naruto, joining him in looking at their teammate.

“How bracing…!” Mayu broke the silence, putting on a grin. Sasuke straightened up and turned to his team. He nodded slowly. His heart rate decreased until normal. He swallowed, and then released a slow breath. His eyes shut for a few seconds. When he opened them again, his eyes returned to onyx. “To think we’d be attack so quickly. Just because we’re rookies?”

“Probably,” Sasuke muttered.

“I didn’t get to do a thing!” Naruto pouted while poking his two index fingers together. He looked very sad by this fact. Once again, Sasuke had saved the day while he had been too busy tied up behind a giant tree. Mayu gave a reassuring pat on the back and told him that there was always a next time. Naruto cheered up a little bit, promising himself that he would help in the future.

“Hey, we need to get out of here before that guy shows up again with his team,” Sasuke stated. He jumped away, leaving Naruto and Mayu to follow him. The two nodded, and then moved after him. Once the three reached a good enough place, they stopped. “If you two didn’t realize, that was a bad situation for us.” Sasuke sat down on the ground. Naruto and Mayu mirrored his movements.

“You’re telling me!” Mayu scoffed as she dug around in her pouch again. She pulled a wipe and handed it to Sasuke. “I thought we had that guy.” She sighed heavily as Sasuke began wiping his face. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. He probably did not have his scroll since he was by himself.” The Uchiha grunted in agreement. Then he tried to give the cloth back to her, but Mayu gave him an unimpressed look. Sasuke rolled his eyes and tossed the dirty wipe over his shoulder.

“Yeah,” he continued. “I didn’t realize that it wasn’t Naruto until a moment after he came closer to us.” Sasuke pressed his elbow against his raised knee. “If the three of us gets separated, don’t trust anyone, even if they look one of us. There’s a possibility that an enemy will transform into us for a chance to get the scroll or worse.” Naruto nodded his head in understanding.

“Wait, how do we know if we’re talking to our real teammates?” he asked, confused.

“Let’s decide on a password right now,” Sasuke answered.

“Password…?” Naruto blinked.

Sasuke nodded as he continued speaking. “If a different password is given, assume that that person is the enemy no matter what.” He narrowed his eyes a bit. “It’s either the password or nothing, got it?” Naruto and Mayu nodded their heads. They had to admit, it was a pretty good plan. “I’m only going to say this once, so listen carefully.” He paused for a moment. “First you will ask for the ninja song ‘Ninki.’ The answer should be ‘It is a good chance when a large number of enemies are making a scene. There are no hideouts even in a quiet place. It is important for a ninja to know the right time. The time when the enemy is tired and has his guard down.’ That’s it.”

Naruto visibly sweated. There was no way he was going to remember such a long password. Password…? That was a friggin’ _passphrase_! Naruto frowned and looked to the kunoichi of the team for help. She was currently staring at Sasuke. Her mouth opened and glared.

“You want to die?!”

Sasuke nearly fell over in shock. She was honestly protesting?! He straightened his back and glared at her in return. Mayu sharply turned her head, unbothered by the glare. A look of defiance crossed her features. “What do you mean?” he questioned hotly. “It’s a good password!”

“I _mean_ , I’m not saying that long password. I refuse to say it! It’s not good!” Mayu protested.

“It _is_ good!”

“It’s _not_ good!”

“It is good!”

“It’s not!”

“It is!”

“No, it isn’t!”

“Yes, it is!”

Naruto’s eyes darted back and forth between his teammates as they repeated their rebuttals. Then they stopped and stared at one another. The blond shinobi believed it was the end of their argument. However, after a pause, both pulled out kunai. “Alright, alright, alright, alright!” Naruto stood, lifting his hands in a calming gesture. Dark eyes and green eyes looked his way. “We’re wasting time here! Sasuke, you said let’s decide, so let’s _decide_!” After another few seconds, his teammates relaxed and slipped their respective kunai back into holsters. Mildly annoyed, Naruto rolled his eyes. The way these two went at it… It was like something was underneath the underneath. Anyone else would see straight up hostility but Naruto could tell there was something else. He couldn’t put his finger on it yet, but he _knew_. “I’m with Sakura-chan on this one.”

“What?!” Sasuke glared at him. “Why?!”

“You know why!” Mayu retorted. “That password is _too long_! We’re not for it. You’ve been outvoted, bird boy!”

Sasuke clicked his tongue and crossed his arms, sharply turning his gaze elsewhere. “Fine! _You_ come up with something better. If you can!” He gave a pointed look at Mayu. She ignored him, choosing to drop back down to her knees. She wore a grin, having had won the argument. “Stupid cocoon.”

“I’m going to ignore your audacity for now,” Mayu said, keeping the grin. “A password should be something we all know—just the three of us…” She scratched her cheek, appearing thoughtful. “How about the answer to who we’re trained by?”

“No, anyone could have heard the answer already,” Sasuke stated. “You two were loud at the gate.” Naruto stuck his tongue out. “It should be something new. But something we all know.”

“Oh! How about…?” She patted her chest twice with a curled fist. Then, with that same fist, she extended her pinky and index fingers while the thumb kept the middle and ring fingers tightly curled. “‘Thug ninja for life.’” She had showed the hand gesture a few times on boring missions. She called it _rockfist_ and often gushed that her mother loved _Christian Rock_ —whatever that was. “See? Easy.”

“I am not saying that.” Sasuke shook his head. “It’s ridiculous. I’m not saying it.” His answer was quick and to the point. He didn’t care that Mayu’s smile had dropped. Uchiha Sasuke had an image to uphold and his image would be shattered if he did something like that. No way was he going to be caught doing that. “The point of our password should be complexity, so others won’t be able to smoothly repeat it back to us.”

Mayu huffed again, and then turned her undivided attention to Naruto, who was smiling. Apparently, he liked the new password a lot. Mayu’s smile returned as she pointedly looked to Sasuke. “Well, that settles that.” Sasuke grumbled under his breath. “If we get separated and you say that long password that you came up with, I’m going to attack you, bird brain. Real you or not.” Sasuke only rolled his eyes, annoyed.

“Alright, now that that’s over, what do we do now?” Naruto asked, standing. Sasuke and Mayu stood as well.

“Well, I’m keeping the scroll,” he announced.

“Wait! Why do you get to-?” Naruto abruptly stopped speaking. Something, out of nowhere, had struck him in the face. Whatever it was, it was sharp and caused the blond shinobi to bleed. His head turned towards the direction he thought the cutting thing came from. “What was that?” His question went unanswered as he, as well as his teammates, stared in the same direction.

It was relatively quiet for a moment. Sasuke took a step forward in confusion. Suddenly, a giant gust of wind came forth. It was stronger than any other normal wind. That led Sasuke to believe that they had another enemy on their hands. A stronger, more efficient enemy. He quickly jumped out of the way of the wind’s path. He heard Mayu complain of a bug in her eye, but the volume of the wind drowned out her voice after. Eventually, the forest stopped shaking and the wind stopped howling. Sasuke noticed, from his hiding spot, that his teammates weren’t around. Hopefully, the two went into hiding.

Sasuke also noticed the huge furrow in the ground. It seemed to stretch far. It was slightly impressive, but Sasuke was sure that he could do the same with one of his jutsu. The sound of a twig snapping caught his ears. He quickly pushed himself from the bush he was hiding under. A startled gasp made him quickly turn. He saw Mayu, nearly a few meters away from him. She was holding up her kunai in defense; she also had a couple of shuriken between her fingers.

“You scared the crap outta me!” Mayu gave a relieved sigh as she moved closer to him. Sasuke backed up and held up his own kunai. “I thought-”

“Don’t come any closer!” His sudden shout caused the girl to stop. She frowned lightly. “Say the password first!”

“What about you?! Why don’t you say it first?” Sasuke almost lowered his weapon. He knew that condescending defiant tone anywhere. She would be the one that made him say the password first. But then again, it could be a good disguise. “And, I swear, if you-”

“Okay, we’ll say it together,” Sasuke cut in, nearly rolling his eyes. “How does that sound?” Mayu seemed to mull it over in her head, and then nod. “Good.”

“Thug ninja for life,” both teammates said in unison as they patted their chest twice with their fists, which quickly turned into rock fists.

Mayu sighed as she lowered her weapons. She didn’t remove the shuriken from her hands though. “I am so glad you said the right password, bird boy.” She grinned as Sasuke also lowered his weapon.

“Yeah, whatever…”

“ _Itai_ …!” A groan filled their ears, causing the two to turn. They saw Naruto running towards them. “Hey, everyone, how are you?” Sasuke and Mayu held up their kunai. Naruto stopped in his tracks.

“Before you come any closer, tell us the password,” Sasuke ordered.

“Oh, yeah! Sorry, sorry!” Naruto grinned. “Thug ninja for life.” He didn’t move. Sasuke and Mayu waited a second, and yet the blond did not move an inch. The two threw their weapons. Naruto just barely moved in time. The weapons whizzed pass him just as he fell to the ground. “What are you doing?!” he exclaimed in surprise. He sat up looking confused.

“You’re not Naruto!” Mayu pointed an excusing finger.

“This time we have someone good enough to dodge my attack,” Sasuke pointed out.

“What are you guys talking about? I said the password correctly!” Naruto complained. “Why are you attacking me?”

“You said the password correctly all right,” Mayu began, frowning.

“But you didn’t do the action that followed,” Sasuke finished. “So, I guess that means you were listening. But didn’t see us.” Blue eyes grew slightly wide at the information. “And besides that, the movement you used to dodge is different from the normal Naruto. Show your real self, faker!”

The imposter grinned. A tongue darted out of his mouth and licked his lips. Those actions of his caused a shiver to run up Mayu’s spine. Her eyes expanded as her mouth dropped open. “I see.” With a small boom type noise, the faker shortly hid behind a large cloud of smoke. When the smoke vanished, they stood in Naruto’s place. The same person from before. The one that had winked at him at the start of this portion of the exam.

Mayu recognized this person right away. She took a step back as that… _monster_ conversed with Sasuke about the password. Sweat slid down her face as she continued to stare at the enemy. Its tongue appeared again. That tongue… that creepy tongue that gave her nightmares. She would know it anywhere. _“Orochimaru…”_ she thought, taking another step back. _“It’s him…! He’s already come for Sasuke!”_

Her teammate noticed her movement but kept his eyes on the enemy. He wondered why Mayu was moving away. Was she that scared of this guy? No matter… Sasuke would take this person on. She didn’t have to get involved if she was this scared. The person suddenly pulled out a scroll. It was the Earth scroll—the one item required to complete this part of the exam. Mayu bit her lip as the person chuckled. “You want our Earth scroll, right?” The tone they used was almost mocking. “Since you three have the Heaven scroll.” They chuckled again, and then wrapped their long tongue around the scroll and forced it into their mouth.

Mayu and Sasuke gawked as they watched the scroll go down. _“Now that’s an esophagus…!”_ The Uchiha grimaced as they licked their lips again. The Grass ninja didn’t seem to mind the disgusted looks they received from two young genin.

“Let’s begin…” They licked their lips and bowed their head. “The battle over our scrolls…”

“We don’t want it!” Mayu exclaimed.

“By putting our lives on the line!”

When Mayu looked into their reptile-like eyes, she could really see her death. Blood… There was so much blood. Sprayed everywhere. On the ground, on the tree branches. She could not escape the sight. Cuts and bruises scattered all over her body. Throat slit. Wrists cut. So many deep gouges along her chest. Blood gushed and spilled without stopping. The vision of her sudden death ended with a kunai embedding deep in her skull.

For a moment, she, as well as Sasuke, was immobile. Their bodies trembled. Their faces froze in a state of fear. Finally, muscles gave out and they dropped to the ground. Sasuke panted heavily. That feeling of dread and horror washed over him. He hunched over and puked. Never had he experienced something so… intense. His dark eyes shifted over to Mayu. She was still shaking. Her eyes remained open and scared. _“She’s in a state of shock!”_ Sweat ran down his face as his eyes looked towards the Grass shinobi. _“It was… just intent to kill, but the damage it did to my body… I can barely move! Who is this person?”_

_“This isn’t good… I need to run!”_ Mayu watched as the person smirked. _“I didn’t think it would be this bad. My legs—they won’t move! I’m going to die… Orochimaru… is going to kill me! We’re going to die…”_ She could not stop her body from shaking. No matter what she did, she couldn’t move. Mayu stared. As the enemy approached, she could only _stare_. Horrified by her own inaction. Terrified of her impending death. They took out two kunai, one for each of them. _“I really am going to die! No… Move, you stupid body! Move…!”_

The Grass ninja threw both kunai. Without pause, they sliced through the air and headed for the two frozen ninja. Mayu did the only thing she could do. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying that her teammate would snap out of it. Canon-wise, Sasuke had saved himself and Sakura. Because of being paralyzed, Mayu didn’t feel his touch. Abruptly, dirt had been replaced with bark. The kunoichi opened her eyes and breathed deeply, only to turn and puke over the side of the branch. When she finished, she put a hand over her throat. Her pupils dilated as she panted heavily. That was the worst feeling that she had ever experienced. Seeing and feeling were two different things. Swallowing hard, green eyes shifted to Sasuke. He seemed to be in worse shape.

His thigh was bloody, soaking his white shorts red. He looked so frightened and vulnerable. His body still trembled. He had obviously been scared, too. More scared than Mayu. His eyes, darting around, searched for the enemy. Mayu remembered this. Sasuke replaced his fear with pain, jamming a kunai blade into his own flesh. “Sasuke…” Her voice shook. Surprised, she covered her mouth with her hand.

_“What’s the matter with me?!”_ She screamed at herself. _“I was acting so—so useless! I should have done something—anything!”_ She had relied on Sasuke. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it should have been the last resort. Mayu looked down at the bark of the tree. Tears welled up in her eyes. She felt embarrassed and angry. _“I couldn’t do anything at all!”_ She squeezed her eyes shut. _“I can’t allow myself to do nothing again! I won’t allow it! There’s no way I’m ever going to rely on Sasuke or Naruto again! And I won’t run away!”_

A shadow suddenly loomed over the two. Mayu looked towards her right. Giant reptile eyes stared back at her. An enormous brown snake had managed find them. It opened its mouth, revealing fangs. Green eyes grew wide. “ _AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH_!” she screamed, pushing herself from the branch. “GIANT SNAKE! RUN!”

**What happened to ‘I won’t run away?’**

Mayu stifled her conscious and focused on Sasuke. Her teammate had heeded her advice and jumped from the branch. They had gotten away before the snake could chomp down. Shuddering, the kunoichi landed on another branch and watched the snake slither upward, towards Sasuke. The Uchiha threw several shuriken at the snake’s open mouth, screaming in fright. The snake fell. Its head hit a branch. It was so heavy that it nearly cracked the branch. Blood slid down from its open wounds. If there was one thing Mayu hated more than bugs, it was legless reptiles. She gaped at the corpse of the snake, surprised that it was still moving. A humanoid head pushed through the skin of the snake.

The green-eyed kunoichi trembled. They were moving that tongue again. It was so slimy and disturbing to watch. She almost looked away. The Grass ninja suddenly launched forward, going towards Sasuke as if they were a snake. Their body had stretched that far. Sasuke shouted as they came closer.

“Oh no!” Mayu quickly dug around in her pouch for something, anything that could help her teammate. _“He’s not moving!”_ Suddenly, several shuriken and kunai had embedded into the bark right in front of the Grass shinobi’s path, causing them to halt. Mayu looked towards where the weapons had come from. She was almost surprised to see Naruto standing there, with his arms crossed, looking like he was some type of hero. From his posture, she was sure that her blond teammate was about say something instead of help. But she was still happy to see him, anyway.

“ _Oi_ , Sasuke, Sakura-chan…” he began. “Thug ninja for life!” He patted his chest with his fist, and then displayed his rockfist. “Glad to see me?”

A relieved smile crossed Mayu’s face. Seeing, at least, one of her teammates looking fearless gave her a boost of confidence. “Naruto…! You’re so _cool_!” She showed her appreciation by complimenting the blond. He smirked, feeling victorious even though he had yet to fight.

“Naruto, you must be here to show off and help us, but don’t get involved!” Sasuke’s shout caused the blond ninja to look at his teammate in confusion. If he didn’t know any better, he would say that he heard Sasuke’s voice tremble a bit. But this was _Uchiha Sasuke_. He did not tremble in the face of danger unless excited. “Run away! This person is way above our level!”

“It looks like you’ve escaped that giant snake, Naruto-kun…” The Grass ninja finally spoke up. They stared lazily up at Naruto, seemingly annoyed by the interruption. The blond shinobi stared down at the person. The enemy’s body literally wrapped around the branch—like a snake’s body coiling. Naruto already concluded the simple fact. This person was dangerous.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Looks like you were picking on the weak, _eh_?” He pointed a finger down at the Grass ninja. “Now that I, Uzumaki Naruto—that’s future Hokage to you—am here, you’re going to be beaten to a pulp!”

Green eyes looked towards Sasuke. Mayu frowned again. It looked as if her teammate was still scared. He looked back and forth between the Grass ninja and Naruto. Mayu figured that he must be thinking of a plan. She noticed that he shut off his Sharingan. This only caused her worry to bubble. “Wait…!” Sasuke called out, catching the attention of the foreign ninja. Mayu noticed that Sasuke had lost all forms of a guard. His shoulders sagged and he bowed his head. Sasuke’s hand disappeared into his pouch. When he pulled it out, he was holding the scroll. “I’ll give you the Heaven Scroll.” The Uchiha announced.

“ _Oh_ , crap…!” Mayu muttered.

“Please,” Sasuke continued. “Take this and leave us in peace.” He paid no attention to the shouts of protest from his two teammates. “We’re _done_!” he retorted hotly. “This exam is _not_ worth our lives!”

“I see. You’re quite smart.” The Grass ninja finally made a move to get up from the branch. “The only hope that the prey has from the predator… is to hand over something else to eat to save itself.” Sasuke and the Grass ninja stared at each other for a moment before Sasuke finally tossed the scroll towards the enemy. The person reached out to catch the scroll.

Naruto watched in disbelief as the scroll moved through the air. Without hesitating, he leaped from his spot and caught the scroll before it reached the Grass ninja. Naruto propelled himself from one tree branch towards the one Sasuke stood on. The Uchiha rounded on him in a frightened rage. “Stupid…! Don’t butt in!” His shout was ignored as Naruto turned. “Don’t you realize the situation we’re in?!”

No holds bar, Naruto punched Sasuke in the face, knocking the Uchiha off the branch. Sasuke quickly composed himself so that he could land straight. Wiping the blood from his chin, Sasuke demanded to know the reason for the strike. Instead of answering right away, Naruto continued to pant. He finally opened his mouth to speak. “Tell me what our password is!” Naruto growled. Sasuke only looked confused. “There’s no way that you know our password because you’re not Sasuke! You’re a fake, aren’t you?!”

“Idiot…! I am the real one!” Sasuke glared at his teammate.

“You _liar_!” Naruto exclaimed, bowing his head. “The coward I see in front of me is no Uchiha Sasuke! I would never call someone as _pathetic_ as you my rival!” The blond ninja finally looked up, glaring at Sasuke. “I don’t know how strong this… weird person is, but there’s no guarantee that we’ll be free to go even if we hand over our scroll!” Naruto continued. “You’re the one who is scared—the one who doesn’t understand the situation!”

The Grass ninja chuckled lightly as he finally stood. “Naruto-kun…” they began, causing the two boys to look towards them. “You’re right.” They moved their tongue in a circular motion. Sasuke’s eyes widened. “I just have to…” They lifted their sleeve to reveal some type of marking on their arm. “Kill you all to take the scroll!” They bit their thumb and wiped the blood on the marking.

Naruto glared, not liking the feeling he got from seeing this. He ran towards the Grass ninja, kunai in hand. “Stop! Run, Naruto!” Sasuke shouted. Again, the warning was ignored. The blond ninja had lost faith in his comrade. He moved closer to the Grass ninja.

“ **Ninja Art:** **Summoning Jutsu** …” they calmly said, forming seals. A giant smoke cloud appeared, causing Naruto to halt in his attack.

Mayu winced as a forceful wind picked up. Another snake. She really didn’t want to see that. The powerful wind knocked Naruto away, which saved him from being crushed by the summoned giant brown snake. He landed on a branch. He panted heavily as he stared up at the hissing, giant snake. The Grass ninja chuckled as they stood on top of the snake. “How cute. What cute prey I have this time.”

It was about that time when Mayu started to think. She slowly backed away from the fight. Clearly, she would be no help in this situation. Not yet. But she could not stand around shouting her teammates’ names for the duration of the fight. Once she was out of sight, she quickly made her way towards the ground. Since everyone else was high in the tree branches, they didn’t notice her touch the ground. In fact, they probably didn’t see her because they were up so high.

She looked up. Luckily, she could still see… if she strained her eyes a bit. Mayu could also hear Naruto. He was growling and screaming. She could also hear decaying branches breaking. She realized that he must have gone berserk by now. _“Okay, if I remember it right… Naruto should fall right around that area after Orochimaru seals his red chakra.”_ Her eyes focused on a certain spot. She walked over to it and looked up. No longer could she see her teammates, but she did see the snake’s head hovering over a tree branch.

Suddenly, she heard Naruto yelling again. His yells consisted of ‘snake bastard!’ and ‘Let me go!’ Then a shout of pain reached her ears. As soon as it started, it stopped. Mayu narrowed her eyes and waited a few moments. “He should fall… right about…” Before she could finish, her blond teammate crashed into her from above. Mayu managed to suppress the yelp of pain as she slammed into the ground. She had gotten the timing wrong. “Crapbaskets…” she groaned, pushing Naruto from her body. If she had been any less durable, the collision probably would have been bad.

Working through the pain, Mayu placed two fingers at Naruto’s neck. His pulse was erratic, faint even, but there. Just unconscious. Her hands moved over to Naruto’s weapon’s pouch and reached inside. As she thought, the scroll had been taken. Still, that didn’t matter right now. She pulled out a few more items and placed them on the ground next to her teammate’s body. Then she pulled certain items from her own inventory. Finally, she looked up. It appeared that Sasuke and Orochimaru were locked in conversation. Fortunately. She needed a bigger distraction than just conversation, though.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Sasuke?!” Mayu shouted. The Uchiha heard her but didn’t look away from the Grass ninja’s eyes. “How the hell can you defeat that man if you run away from a stupid snake?! I can’t believe how cowardly you’re being!” Sasuke clenched his teeth, curling his hands into fists. “Fine! Run away in fright! Cling to your pathetic life!”

Sasuke heartbeat quickened. Her words… They cut deeper than anything. They were so like what… _he_ had told him before he left. Sasuke closed his eyes and bowed his head. He was suddenly angered. Mayu had shouted at him. Her voice sounded near hysterics. He knew that she didn’t know any better, but it still pissed him off. _“No!”_ He looked up. His eyes had turned red again. _“I won’t let it end here… for any of us!”_

He glared at the Grass ninja, and for a moment, the enemy saw their own death. They shook off the feeling and smirked. _“That was some killer intent he has…”_ Their body suddenly started to shake. They looked down in surprise. It was the snake underneath them. The snake’s body shook, almost causing the Grass ninja to feel as if the ground shook as well. The giant snake suddenly popped out of sight, causing the Grass ninja to fall and land on a tree branch. They stared at the young Uchiha in slight surprise. _“He actually managed to… send it away just with killer intent alone. Something tells me that he’s never killed before, and yet he used it…”_ They smirked as he narrowed their eyes. _“This will be quite interesting. More interesting than I thought.”_

Mayu watched all this happen from a far. She didn’t feel the intent to kill at all. She just thought that it was the same as the original plot. She thought the Grass ninja had made the snake disappear, not Sasuke. Mayu looked down at her unconscious teammate for a moment. It wasn’t long before Sasuke let out a battle cry. She shook head and began picking up the notes and the weapons. She didn’t understand why her teammates felt the need to do that. “Better get started.”

She jumped up.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had his hands full, fighting the Grass ninja. So far, with the help of the Sharingan, he could see and invade the enemy’s moves. The enemy hadn’t hit him yet. Sasuke paused to thank his ancestors for his advanced bloodline as his red eyes stared at the enemy. Suddenly, the Grass ninja sent a giant gust of wind towards him. Quickly moving out of the way of the blast, Sasuke launched himself at the enemy. Taken by surprise, the enemy could only gasp as Sasuke wrapped himself around their body.

Making his body lurch backwards, Sasuke made both fall over the branch. Now the enemy fell, headfirst. They screamed, realizing what the fall could mean. Before they could react, however, their skull crashed into the trunk of the tree, causing the bark to shatter because of the force of impact. The enemy’s hands trembled before going completely limp. Sasuke waited a few more seconds before jumping away from the body.

Their legs also went limp as Sasuke stared. He started to lower his guard until the body transformed into a mound of mud. “Shit…!” He quickly jumped back. If he hadn’t, his body would have been impaled by multiple kunai that rained from an unknown location. Because of his jump, he realized that there was no longer something holding him up. Thinking quickly, he pulled on the wire that was in his hands. The wire snagged onto a nub of a tree branch. His body swung through the trees. _“George, George! George of the Jun…”_ Sasuke quickly shook the tune from his mind. Great, he was starting to sound like his teammate.

He looked back to see if the enemy had followed him. He turned back around, only to see the enemy running towards him with his fist poised to attack. His eyes widened watching the fist close in on his face. He swiftly leaned backwards onto his hands and watched as the clenched hand pass over. It seemed to happen at the pace of a turtle. And then it sped up as Sasuke brought his leg up and kicked the enemy in the chin, launching them upward.

Mayu watched from afar with a shocked, impressed look. _“That’s my move!”_ she thought. _“He added it to his arsenal?”_ She was a bit touched by that. Shaking her head, the kunoichi took a step forward out of her hiding place. It was almost time to put her plan in motion.

Sasuke stood up straight just as the enemy came back down. The Grass ninja slammed their fist against Sasuke’s head, causing the boy to hunch over. He didn’t have time to groan in pain because the enemy used his foot to kick Sasuke away. He crumbled, pained grunt leaving his mouth. Forcing himself not to react, Sasuke did not move again. The Grass ninja dropped their stance, and then slowly walked forward. “What a disappointment…” They stared down at the unmoving boy. “Your ancestors weep. The Uchiha clan should thank me for killing you.”

Sasuke slowly opened his eyes. He was being mocked. Again. And by the enemy. A smirk appeared on his face. Well, he would show him how big a trickster he could be. The enemy was caught got off guard by the small explosions that happened right behind him. The gasp of surprise didn’t go unnoticed by Sasuke. He hopped up from his position and away from the branch. He threw multiple shuriken pass the disoriented ninja. Once the boy landed, he maneuvered his hands so that the shuriken would change course. The wire, attached to the shuriken, tied the enemy to a tree branch.

The Grass ninja tried to get out of it, but obviously struggled. Sasuke wasted no time in forming hand seals. “ **Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu**!” Using the wires as guides, flames shot towards the tied-up enemy. A direct hit. The fire was so hot that he burnt a hole through the tree and had the enemy screaming in agony. The screams stopped and the fire slowly died down. Sasuke panted as he gazed at his enemy. Dead. His pants transformed into wheezing, but he did not care right now. That attack took a lot out of him. But it was over… It was finally over. He had won.

He felt so relieved that he didn’t realize that the enemy was still alive until after they spoke. Sasuke looked up in surprise and slight annoyance. Would this person just die already?! “Such mastery of the Sharingan at a young age. You’re a true Uchiha after all…” Sasuke realized that the enemy’s voice had changed. He also noticed that the enemy wasn’t really from the Grass village. His headband was one from the Sound village.

“Who the hell are you?!” Sasuke shouted. To put it lightly, he was tired of fighting this guy. “What do you want from me?!” The man only chuckled and tossed a Heaven scroll up.

“My name is Orochimaru… As to what I’m after,” he chuckled again. “That will be revealed the next time we meet, Sasuke-kun.” The scroll began to burn. “And that won’t happen until you pass this exam with the best score of all.” Sasuke’s eyes expanded. “But before that, you’ll have to defeat the ninja that serve me.” The one named Orochimaru created a hand seal, and then his neck grew longer and shot at Sasuke.

The Uchiha could barely see him coming. Without use of his Sharingan, he could not register the oncoming attack. He could not react in time. Sasuke felt a presence behind him but didn’t turn away from the oncoming snake user. He felt a sudden weight on his back and arms wrap around his neck. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a glimpse of pink. _“Mayu…!”_ Next, he heard pierced flesh. The sound seemed to echo. A grunt of pain followed closely after.

Orochimaru released his prey, only to realize that he had bitten the wrong one. He looked up to see that he had bitten the girl instead. She grimaced but glared right back. “You little-” Before he could finish, however, one of the girl’s arms unwrapped from Sasuke’s neck and jammed a kunai up Orochimaru’s chin. The snake user visibly choked on the weapon and stared in shock as the girl howled in pain. Only then did Sasuke notice the explosive note attached to the kunai.

His dark eyes grew wide in shock before jumping away. He heard a sizzling type of noise and looked behind him. What he saw made him pale considerably. Mayu had attached shuriken to the sides of her clothes. Attached to those shuriken were more explosive notes. All of them burned indicating impending explosions. He quickly pulled them from her body and threw them at the long neck of Orochimaru.

**_BOOM_ **

The first one went off.

Then the rest.

**_BOOM_ ** **! _BOOM_! _BOOM_! _BOOM_!**

The blasts sent Sasuke hurdling towards the ground. He hurriedly composed himself so that he could land properly. Once he landed, he looked up to see smoke and flames. He needed to get out of here. He looked around and saw something orange. “Naruto…!” Ignoring Mayu’s screaming for a moment, he rushed over to his fallen comrade. He checked, and thankfully, the blond still had a pulse.

He set Mayu on the ground next to Naruto’s body. She was still screaming. Sasuke shook his head, and then knocked her out, successfully quieting her. He swallowed hard and thought about the situation he now faced. “I have to get them out of here.” He managed to put both of his teammates on his shoulders, and then run. He had to find cover, so he could treat them… somehow.

0-0

Sasuke gently set his teammates down. The ground was cool, and he hoped that it would somewhat cool their bodies. Both had high fevers. Because of that, he had picked a spot close to a river. Currently, the three were inside a cave. For now, it was enough cover. He had barely noticed it himself when searching. Sasuke had been lucky to find it. It took a huge chunk out of the day, but he had found a perfect place. Outside, the moon lit up the area.

Sasuke stared at his teammates’ bodies for a moment longer before standing. He had to get some of water. He turned and began walking towards the mouth of the cave. After a quick glance at his team, he took off into the night. They should be safe for now.

Relatively quick, he found the source of water. Sasuke looked around before kneeling near the edge. He dipped one of the bottles into the river, waiting for it to fill. Mayu had put many useful things inside her pouch. The bottles were small and empty, but they were handy even so. Sasuke lifted the bottle from the water’s current. He then proceeded to do the same with the other two bottles.

After he finished the task and put the caps back on, he stood and began to walk in the direction of the cave. His dark eyes trained on the ground as he walked at a slow pace. He started to think about all the things that had happened in just one day. He swallowed hard as he thought about Mayu. He couldn’t help but notice the strange dark mark that was on her arm. Whatever it was, he knew that it had been meant for him. Mayu took the blow instead. Unacceptable. He was seriously going to maim her when she woke up. If she woke up… The mark had caused her so much pain. Sasuke recalled the way she screamed. Like she had been in utter agony. It could have been him. It should have been him.

Sasuke’s eyelids lowered.

But why? What had been the motivation? That guy—Orochimaru—had seemed impressed by the fight and had even said they would meet again. Therefore, the purpose of that mark had not been death. Then, why do it? Damn it. It felt like things had spiraled completely out of control, and Sasuke had no way to prepare. Not only that, but there was Naruto. His sudden burst of strength had been surprising. Not to mention his eyes. They had changed. Even as the blond ninja mocked him, Sasuke noticed the red in Naruto’s eyes. His teammates… Both were mysteries. Guess they were all tricksters in the end.

Sasuke looked up, realizing that he neared the mouth of the cave. He picked up his pace, but he stopped, noticing that something entered the cave. Nearly hidden by shadow, the large form of an animal entered. His dark eyes widened. “Shit…” he murmured. Slowly and quietly, he moved closer. “A tiger?!” Not just one but four. When would this day truly be over? Gritting his teeth, Sasuke narrowed his eyes. His teammates would be eaten by the wildlife if he did not do something. Hurriedly, Sasuke looked around and spotted a large rock. Without thinking further, he threw the rock in the opposite direction of the cave. Within a few seconds, the tigers left the cave. Sasuke squinted from his hiding place, noting the lack of blood.

He nearly sighed in relief as he watched the family of tigers leave. Waiting just a second more, the shinobi dashed towards the cave. Sasuke found his teammates exactly as he had left them. Safe. He sighed heavily. Just his luck to pick the den of tigers. Cursing the sadistic exam, Sasuke rushed to Naruto and Mayu. “Hold on…!” he whispered. “I have to move you before-”

A growl interrupted him, causing the Uchiha to flinch. He slowly turned to see that the family had returned. Their snarls made Sasuke’s heart beat hard against his chest. What could he do with no way out? One of the tigers stepped closer, growling. It was much bigger than the other three. Sasuke frowned, slipping a hand into his holster. He would have to kill them. Big yellow eyes seemed to glare at the intruder. Then, the growling stopped. It had been so abrupt that Sasuke only stood there. He watched the larger tiger’s nostrils move rapidly. The tiger came closer and cold sweat slid down Sasuke’s face. Just a few meters now, but the animal did not seem ready to pounce.

Its tongue darted out, scratchy surface licking upward against Sasuke’s face. Grimacing, the Uchiha took a step backwards. The tiger followed, licking again at exposed skin. Maybe it was the exhaustion pressing down on him but Sasuke did not attempt to stop it. The other three walked forward and began licking at him as well. “What the hell…?” he murmured, pushing at the large tiger’s head. “I don’t even care anymore.” His dark eyes shifted to where his teammates lay. Slowly, he moved towards them. It seemed like these tigers would not attack him. Finally, some luck. Sasuke dropped down next to Mayu, picking up the discarded bottle. He poured the water in his hands before splashing it on her face. He did the same to Naruto. Only the blond ninja responded by wrinkling his face. He did not wake up, though.

Frowning, he removed two cloths from Mayu’s pouch and soaked them with water. He placed them across their foreheads after removing their headbands. He sighed again once he finished. So much for rocking this exam. They had been ambushed. Most of the team had been crippled. The scroll had been destroyed. In a single day. Honestly, Sasuke would be content with just surviving at this point.

One of the tigers curled up behind Mayu. It nudged her, and then yawned. It lay down near her head. Sasuke watched in confusion. He didn’t understand why these wild beasts were acting like docile kittens. It didn’t make sense, and yet he didn’t dare to question it. He was grateful to have the reprieve.

Sasuke leaned back, expecting the wall of the cave. Instead, his back hit something soft and furry. Craning his neck back, he saw that a tiger had gone behind him as well. He relaxed and muttered his thanks. His eyelids lowered. Having tigers around wasn’t such a bad idea. They would most certainly alert him if anyone came near. He could give into his exhaustion. For a few hours, at least. After all that happened today, he sure did need the rest.

0-0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant it when I tagged 'Role Reversal.'
> 
> Kekekeke...!


	14. Watch Me Get Wicked

At a slow pace, Sasuke walked back towards the cave. After waking up, he quickly—but thoroughly—checked the surrounding area. There had been no indication of other ninja. Fortunately. Once satisfied with surveying, Sasuke had headed towards the river. He had splashed water on his face, refilled the bottles, and then fished. Three fish—abnormally large—slung over his shoulders by the use of wire. He was hesitant about cooking something. After all, the scent and smoke could attract other teams. Though his team no longer had a scroll of their own, Sasuke did not want to risk confrontation now. Still, he needed to eat if he were to stand a chance against an opposing force. He was already at a disadvantage because his teammates showed no sign of waking up yet.

_"Naruto... Mayu..."_ Sasuke thought. He stared at the ground as he walked. Frowning, he recalled what Orochimaru had done to the Heaven scroll. Then, of course, his thoughts shifted to his own unsightly behavior. He had been afraid. Blood lust—a combination of intent and subtle use of genjutsu. He could not believe it had been so intense. To see his own death play out… It had been overwhelming. Even now, relatively safe, Sasuke could not help the way his insides trembled. _“Orochimaru…”_ Clearly, the guy had not been here for the exam. Had his goal always been to place his mark? Weird.

The sounds of animalistic whimpers pulled Sasuke from his thoughts. He looked up, eyes immediately finding the family of tigers at the mouth of the cave. They focused on the inside. Sasuke sharply inhaled through his nose, already thinking of what it could mean. Feeling the anticipation, he practically dashed to the cave. He pushed the tigers away in his haste. As he hoped, one of his teammates stared back at him. Wide green eyes quickly looked him over. “Sas-Sasuke…!” Mayu whispered. Armed with a kunai, she appeared protective in front of Naruto’s unconscious body. “You-You’re…” Sasuke stepped forward, relief flooding within. “You’re here!” The kunoichi, despite her haggard appearance, dropped the kunai and launched herself at him. She took them both down.

“You stupid cocoon!” Sasuke groused. “You made me drop the fish!”

“I thought you got eaten!” Mayu retorted, squeezing tighter. Sasuke only huffed lightly, but his body relaxed in her tight embrace. “I woke up and you-you weren’t here. And they growled and I panicked…”

“Stupid,” he called her, lifting his hand. His palm lightly stroked the back of her head. Once. For her comfort. Not at all for his. Really. “Only the dumbass could get eaten by an animal.” Mayu muttered something but it was too low to make out. “ _Oi_ … We’re fine.”

“… Yeah…” Finally, the kunoichi reared back, green eyes staring into his. She blinked once before giving a vacant look. Sasuke furrowed his brow. “I’m exhausted,” Mayu stated. She then immediately crumbled, and her entire weight pressed down on him. “My bones are gone!”

“Relax,” Sasuke told her, rolling his eyes. He pushed her off. Mayu groaned in displeasure. “If your body was weak in the first place, you shouldn’t have rushed at me.”

“If I had enough strength, bird boy, I’d show you my inappropriate hand seal.” Sasuke rolled his eyes again. Still, this was good news. Two out of three was not bad odds. Also, Mayu seemed her normal self. Carefully, he picked up his teammate and placed her next to Naruto. The mild noise had not disturbed Naruto’s current state. How long would the blond shinobi be out of commission? If they were lucky, it wouldn’t be for much longer. Uzumaki Naruto was the powerhouse of the team, and they would probably need him for the remainder of this. “So… What’s with the tigers anyway?” Mayu questioned, snapping him out of his thoughts. “They don’t seem hostile…”

Sasuke glanced back. Undetected, the four animals entered the cave. Dark eyes narrowed before shifting back to the kunoichi. “Not sure, really,” he admitted. Picking up the discarded cloth, he busied his hands by wringing out the rest of the water. “When I brought you two here, I had no idea it was a den for them. I thought I might have to kill them but… they didn’t attack. They licked us and treated us like we’re familiar. I didn’t really care—still don’t. As long as they’re useful.” He reached for one of the bottles and poured the river water on cloth. “Your skin still feels hot.” He pressed the rim of the bottle against Mayu’s lips.

Mayu greedily gulped the water down while Sasuke reached over with his other hand to replace the cloth against Naruto’s forehead. “I’m surprised a fever is all I have right now,” Mayu remarked once she finished. Sasuke hummed lightly. He set the empty container on the ground before repeating the process of dampening the cloth he took from Naruto. He frowned as he placed the wet cloth on Mayu’s forehead. She acted as though she knew the symptoms of what happened to her. But that would be ridiculous. “I wonder why… Thought I was gonna die…”

“Hey…” Sasuke got her attention. Mayu shut her eyes but she still listened. “Why did you do that?” She hummed in a questioning manner. Sasuke sighed lightly. “That mark on your arm… That guy wanted to-to mark _me_. But you took the hit instead. Why?” It took her a moment to open her mouth.

“You want the truth or the lie…?” Mayu asked, keeping her eyes shut.

“ _Why_ would I want to hear a lie?”

“The truth might make you uncomfortable.”

“…” Sasuke shifted awkwardly. She sounded so sure of his discomfort with the truth. “Give me both,” he finally said.

“You’re so greedy, birdbrain,” Mayu chuckled lightly. Sasuke clicked his tongue in slight annoyance. “Okay, so… the lie would be that this body reacted on its own. Remnants of Sakura’s urges remain and _blah, blah, blah_. Like that time I called you _Sasuke-kun_ all delightfully.” Sasuke scowled in response. “But the truth is… I took that blow because I didn’t want you to suffer. I’d do it again with no hesitation. Because you’re my teammate. Because you’re my friend. Because I care too much about you.”

Sasuke clenched his teeth, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. A completely sincere smile formed on the kunoichi’s face. She had yet to open her eyes but Sasuke got a sense that she knew his reaction. Sasuke sharply turned his head, gaze stubbornly focused elsewhere. Unease… Is that what he felt? In truth, he felt an outrageous urge to hug her. He frowned deeply. This girl really had rubbed off on him. “Well, I don’t need you to do that for me,” Sasuke mentioned. “Worry about yourself.”

“Nope,” Mayu retorted, and then scoff. “We’re friends for life now. That means more hugs and _sacrifice._ ”

“Stupid.”

She only giggled. Then she opened her eyes, gaze on the ceiling of the cave. “Still, I admit that it was instinctive,” Mayu said. “I didn’t know it would happen. The pain was… excruciating. I’m surprised that I’m conscious right now.”

“You’re not in pain anymore?” Sasuke questioned.

“There’s… a dull ache,” she said. “But I think it’s the bite itself—the puncture wounds.” Sasuke hummed in thought. “I think it’s because of this body. The endurance of it made it possible for me to awaken so quickly.”

“You say it like you know how long you were supposed to be knocked out,” Sasuke commented.

“I… It-It’s just a guess, bird boy,” Mayu muttered. “Because of the _pain_.” Sasuke hummed again, narrowing his eyes. “Anyway, count your blessings. You probably would have been taken out for the rest of the exam if _you_ had gotten bit.”

“You’re not funny.”

“Boy, I am _hilarious_.”

Before Sasuke could give a proper retort, the tigers reminded them of their presence by moving closer. They still seemed a bit wary. But that was understandable, he supposed. Mayu did just try to attack them—defend against them. He held his hand out towards the family. "It's all right now,” he told them, idly wondering if they could understand. “The crazy cocoon isn't going to hurt you."

"Hey! Keep talking like that and I'm going to hurt _you_!"

After a second, the tigers walked forward. Two tigers went over to Mayu's body, causing the girl to visibly tense. "They're not going to hurt you either," Sasuke stated. A nose nudged Mayu's shoulder. She gradually relaxed as the tiger kept doing that action. The other two came towards Sasuke and Naruto, and then lied down. "It's been about a day and a half," he mentioned.

"Since we encountered that guy?!"

"No, since we've started, moron," Sasuke muttered. "Stop jumping to conclusions all the time."

"Bite me," came the annoyed response. "Anyway, I guess that means we have only a few days to get the other scroll and with Naruto and me out of commission for a bit, our time remaining might dwindle."

Sasuke frowned. "Didn't you see?" he asked. "That guy, Orochimaru, burned our scroll. We need to get _both_ now if we still want to pass." The cave grew silent again. Sasuke noticed the grin on his teammate’s face. He raised an eyebrow. “Mayu… what are you hiding?” If it was impossible for a grin to grow, Mayu sure didn’t care.

“ _Nooooothiiiiiiing_ …!”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He reached over and pulled at the girl’s cheek. And of course, Mayu squealed in response. The Uchiha finally released her cheek and frowned. “You tell me now,” he demanded. Mayu giggled again even as her cheek turned red. “Out with it.” 

“Remember when I asked to check the things you guys had?” she questioned, amused eyes on him. The Uchiha nodded. He remembered quite well. However, he recalled it had not been a simple request. She had ordered them to give everything they carried or _face her wrath_. After giving her the items, Mayu had gone out of view and hadn’t returned for a little under five minutes. When asked, Mayu had given a vague answer.

“Yeah, what about it?” Sasuke raised a brow.

“Well, I originally wanted to check the weapons and other things you guys had to come up with any type of strategy we may need,” Mayu replied. Sasuke nodded his head. He suspected as much, so at the time, he thought nothing of it. “While I was doing that, I couldn’t help but notice that Naruto carried scrolls that matched the shape and color of our Heaven scroll. For what, I have no idea, but…” She trailed off, hoping that Sasuke would fill in the blanks. He did.

“You little sneak.” He found himself smirking. “You switched out the scrolls, didn’t you?” The kunoichi returned his smirk with one of her own. He had to admit to the cleverness behind it. Even he had been fooled. The fake scroll had switched from himself to Naruto before Orochimaru burned it. The stipulations said not to open the scroll. Never said they couldn’t swap it out. It was an extra precaution. After all, people judged their team because of their rookie status. More than likely, they believed the strongest would protect the scroll. Her precaution worked like a charm. “You might be an idiot sometimes, but… that was clever.”

“Well, you know what they say—if you can fool your friends, you can fool your enemies! Biggest trickster wins!” Mayu grinned. “Yup! I’ve had the scroll this whole time. And as soon as Naruto and I get better, we’ll go out and get the other one!” Sasuke shook his head. His teammate was something else. “But we have to regain our strength, which means you, too, Sasuke.”

“ _I’m_ not the idiot.”

“Could’ve fooled me!”

“Moron…”

“Anyway, I saw you were carrying something. It looked like fish,” Mayu commented. Sasuke turned his head towards the three dropped fishes. He grunted lightly. He had almost forgotten about those. “The smell should draw some teams in. Hopefully, Naruto’s up and eating by the time they show up.”

“So, you want them to come to us?” Sasuke stood up and walked over to the fish. He picked them up and grimaced at the dirt that had become visible to his eyes.

“Of course, we need an Earth scroll!” Mayu retorted in a ‘duh’ type of manner.

“And what if we’re not ready?” Sasuke asked, slightly annoyed. “What then?” The kunoichi frowned. Her eyebrows knitted together. She was trying to remember something. Sasuke realized that his teammate did this whenever there was something important to remember.

“ _Ah_ …! You have soldier pills!” Mayu suddenly exclaimed. Sasuke lifted his head sharply. He had forgotten he brought those. He didn’t really think he’d need them but took them anyway. “Where’d you get them, anyway?” She sounded suspicious. “I tried to buy some, but they said I couldn’t because I wasn’t old enough and I had to have a parent with me! How did you get them?” Sasuke shrugged, and then explained to her that the soldier pills were given to him.

“I didn’t even ask. He just gave them to me.”

“It must be nice having an elite advanced bloodline…!” Mayu muttered. Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Anyway, screw waiting around! Give me a soldier pill right now!” Sasuke walked over to their stuff. He pulled a capsule. Inside were tiny bead-like objects. He tossed the container up and caught it with his other hand.

“That’s a good idea,” he commented. “But you should probably have something to eat first.”

“What…?! No!” Mayu shouted. “Give me the soldier pill!”

“No. I’m going to get firewood,” Sasuke remarked, and then turned his back to her. “There’s a reason they don’t sell these things to kids, you know.”

“Sasuke, if you don’t give me a friggin’ soldier pill, I swear to ass I’ll kick your god!”

The Uchiha turned his head, so he could stare at his teammate out of the corner of his eye. “You need to calm down. The blood is rushing to your head and causing you to become lightheaded,” he stated. He turned and began walking out of the cave, dropping the fish on his way out. “I’ll be back later.” Sasuke smirked when Mayu started screeching, telling him to ‘get his peacocked ass back here.’ He allowed the chuckle to escape his lips. Not for the first time, he admitted to liking Ishikari Mayu on his team.

0-0

Sasuke picked up yet another stick. Unfortunately, all the logs he found were wet from the river and he did not want to stray too far from the where Mayu and Naruto rested. A sigh escaped his lips as he picked up yet another twig. These skinny branches—would they really be enough for a fire? “I’ll get a couple more before heading back.”

There was a sudden rustle in a nearby bush. Sasuke stopped moving, not sure if he had heard right. Once again, the noise reached his ears. He turned his head sharply. His dark eyes scanned the surrounding area. He spotted a shaking bush. He raised an eyebrow. _“Whoever it is, they suck at hiding…”_ His eyes narrowed as a hand reached into his holster. Several shuriken embedded into the bush. He heard a frightened squeak, and then a small animal scurried out from under the bush. He was running towards him in its panic. _“A squirrel…?”_ Sasuke’s eyebrow twitched.

As the small creature approached, Sasuke quickly reached down and snatched it up by the tail. The squirrel, not liking this action, thrashed around. Sasuke held it at arm’s length in order to avoid the claws. “As I thought…” he murmured, ignoring the clearly scared squeaks. _“Even without my Sharingan, I could tell… It’s an explosive note.”_ He peeled the note from the squirrel’s body, and then tossed the animal away. He looked towards where the squirrel had come from and frowned. “ _Oi_ …! Whoever is out there, I’m not impressed!” Sasuke ripped the note in half. “What type of loser am I up against now?” he grumbled.

A laugh echoed throughout the area. Sasuke looked up. Staring back at him were three pairs of eyes. Judging from the headbands and attire, the three hailed from the Sound village. One hunched over, arms hidden by extra-long sleeves. A kunoichi stood among them, eyes as dark as her long hair. The last arrogantly smirked, not bothered that Sasuke judged his overuse of hair gel. The Uchiha frowned deeply as realization formed. That guy, Orochimaru, sent them, hadn’t he? They were clearly in association. However, Sasuke did not have the same sense of dread with these three. He could take them.

“So, you were able to see it, eh?” the muffled voice caught his attention. The three jumped down from the branch. Sasuke backed up as they landed on the ground. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Sasuke-kun. My name is Dosu. These are my comrades. Kin and Zaku.”

“That’s nice but I don’t care,” Sasuke sneered. “So, let’s skip the pleasantries. I know you three work for Orochimaru. I want to know about that mark he put on my teammate. If you know anything about it, I’ll let you walk away with your lives.” The threat seemed lost on them. Instead, each looked genuinely surprised by his words. “So… You did not know? I wonder why.”

“I, too, wonder…” Dosu commented.

“Cut the crap…! If you don’t want to get hurt, you’ll answer my questions!”

“He’s kinda cute when he barks out demands like that.” The girl of the team grinned. She took a step forward as Sasuke scowled at her. “I’m going to enjoy fighting this guy.” Zaku smirked as he, too, took a step forward.

“You might enjoy fighting him, but I’ll be the one to kill him, Kin.”

“Thinking you’ve got a chance… I guess that means you don’t know who I am,” Sasuke remarked, dropping the twigs and the useless explosive note. “Well, allow me to explain. In the most violent way possible.”

“My, my… What a cocky brat,” Zaku said. “I hate guys like you.”

“Yes, let’s kill him right away.”

Dosu tilted his head to the side, and then jumped towards Sasuke. His teammates followed suit. The Uchiha narrowed his eyes as they came closer. He quickly formed hand seals. “ **Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu**!” Several balls of fire shot from Sasuke’s mouth. They headed towards the three. Their eyes widened as they tried to avoid the flames. However, one of them was not lucky enough to dodge. One of the fireballs hit Zaku square in the chest, knocking him back against a tree. He cried out in pain. The smell of burnt flesh caused the other two to look back at their squirming teammate. “Zaku…!” Kin shouted. Her comrade grabbed at his chest and it sounded as if he couldn’t breathe. “You bastard!” She rounded on Sasuke, who smirked.

“One down,” he said.

Sasuke took this time to examine the three. That guy, Zaku, was down for the count. He did not have to worry about him getting up too soon. Sasuke’s eyes scanned over the kunoichi. Although she had avoided critical damage, he saw that her hair and parts of her clothes were charred and black from the flames. He also noticed that some of the flames had licked her skin as well. Sasuke looked at Dosu. Out of the three, he seemed to get away from the attack unscathed. _“So, he’s the most skillful,”_ he deduced. “I don’t have time for weaklings like you,” Sasuke said aloud. His taunting caused the kunoichi to glare. “My apologies for defending myself. But your boyfriend was just in my way.”

“He’s not my boyfriend, you ass!” Kin rushed at Sasuke, completely ignoring the protest from her teammate. The Uchiha sank into a stance as the girl moved closer. This kunoichi was stupid, he realized. However, before Sasuke could do anything, someone had attacked the girl, knocking her into Dosu. The two fell to the ground. Kin winced as she clutched her stomach. “Damn it! Who the hell are you?!” Dosu angrily pushed his teammate off him, and then stood. Ignoring that, Kin also stood, glaring at the newcomer.

_“What the hell?”_ Sasuke stared at the green-clad ninja in surprise. Just what was he thinking? He appeared out of nowhere. Rock Lee stood protectively in front of him, clearly intending to intervene further. “What are you…?”

“I am the Leaf’s Handsome Devil! My name is Rock Lee!” he introduced himself. The wind, dramatically, blew through Lee’s shiny bowl cut. This only added to Sasuke’s annoyance. How could Mayu seriously like this guy? “How dishonorable of you to attack one person.”

“You’re not a part of his team! Why are you here?!” Kin sounded pissed.

“I could not just stand by and watch as Sakura-san’s teammate is ambushed by three enemies,” Lee proclaimed. “Sakura-san would never forgive me if I let one of teammates get hurt!”

“In this exam, you’re my enemy, too,” Sasuke pointed out.

“In this moment, we are _comrades_ , Uchiha-san!” Fire seemed to replace Lee’s eyes. “For two against one is unfair, so I will even the score!”

“Thanks, but you’re not needed,” Sasuke muttered. “And quit it with the poses already.” Lee instantly stopped flashing his teeth. “I don’t need your help. Get out of here.”

“Negative, Uchiha-san!”

Sasuke sighed heavily. “Fine, go ahead and get hurt.” The Uchiha narrowed his eyes. _“I could use this to my advantage. I can see what their abilities are before I fight them myself,”_ he thought.

“Enough of this! I don’t care who you are!” Kin shouted. Multiple senbon flew towards Lee. With quickness, the taijutsu-user caught the needle like weapons. “Dosu, are you just going to stand there and do nothing?!” Kin glared at her teammate. The mummified ninja, Dosu, slowly pulled back his sleeve, revealing some type of an arm guard. Holes layered the surface of it.

He dashed towards Lee, fist ready to punch. The green-clad shinobi leapt back, narrowly missing the swipe of Dosu’s arm. Kin grinned. Lee blinked in surprise. His vision of Dosu had suddenly become blurry and distorted. He swayed back and forth a bit, causing Sasuke to look at him in confusion. _“What just happened?”_ he thought.

“You may be fast, but our attacks are the speed of sound, thus surpassing yours,” Dosu remarked. Lee dropped to his knees. The world around him seemed to spin out of control. He panted heavily. Lee became too dizzy and so he threw up the contents in his stomach. He coughed and panted as blood spilled out of his ear.

_“His left ear…”_ Sasuke stared even more confused than before. Lee grabbed his bleeding ear. _“It doesn’t make sense. Why is he so damaged when he didn’t get hit? Could it be some type of jutsu?”_

Dosu suddenly lifted his arm. “There’s a little trick to my attack,” he began. “Just dodging it won’t help. It’s sound. You dodged my fist, but you were attacked by the sound. Do you know what sound is? It is vibrations. Being able to hear something means your eardrum picks up on the vibrations in the air.” He pointed to his ear as if the Leaf shinobi didn’t know what an ear was. “A human eardrum will shatter at anything above 150 decibels. An opponent will lose their sense of balance. You won’t be able to move your body for a while. Your moves won’t work on us.”

“Thanks for the lesson, but your voice is annoying. Shut up,” Sasuke sounded bored. Dosu glared at the Uchiha. “This ends now.”

“You arrogant little-” Kin never finished her sentence. A hand had grabbed her neck, preventing her from getting little to no oxygen. She grabbed Sasuke’s wrist with one hand, still trying to breathe.

“I said shut up. I have no problem taking a girl out.” His grip on her neck became tighter. A strangled gasp came from the kunoichi’s mouth. Kin’s eyes suddenly rolled back, and her body went limp. Sasuke snorted before dropping her to the ground. He turned his eyes the unconscious Lee, and then to Dosu. “What a disappointment. I feel sorry for you.” Dosu stepped back as the Uchiha moved towards him. “Let’s hope you’re more of a challenge.”

Dosu suddenly ceased his movements, causing Sasuke to end his advancement as well. He was slightly surprised that his enemy had stopped. The mummified ninja suddenly chuckled as if he knew something Sasuke didn’t. “Sasuke-kun, a word of advice,” he began. Sasuke could tell he was smirking under those bandages. “You shouldn’t… underestimate disappointments. They tend to surprise.” Sasuke’s dark eyes widened as a gust of wind came at him. That gust turned into a powerful burst of air that sent him flying back. His back hit the tree. A sharp crack echoed as blood spurted from the Uchiha’s mouth. He sank to the ground on his hands and knees. Blood ran down his chin. He looked up, only to see four senbon flying towards him. Sasuke moved to the side, yet two of the senbon needles still managed to lodge into his shoulder.

He cried out as he fell to the ground again. Besides the pain from the senbon in his right shoulder, every time he moved his left arm, it hurt. _“Shit…! I think it’s dislocated!”_ Sasuke glared at the three ninja. Somehow, Zaku stood behind and to the right of Dosu. One of his hands covered his burn while the other hand extended in his direction. Sasuke noticed the small hole in the palm. His eyes moved over to the girl. She had a smirk on her face, standing strong where he had dropped her before. _“Damn it!”_ Kin had tricked him into thinking she was unconscious.

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen!” The girl was going to gloat. He had underestimated her. He had underestimated them all. “That’s what you get for taking us lightly. Look at you, all banged up. The three of us—we’re stronger than you.”

“This time I really am going to kill you,” Zaku said glowering.

_“Damn it… I could activate my Sharingan, but would it give me an advantage this time?”_ Sasuke tried to remove the senbon from his skin, but his jolts of pain coursed through his arm each time he tried to move it. _“Could I still beat them like this…?”_

“Well, I do believe it’s time to end this once and for all,” Dosu mentioned.

“How pathetic of you, Uchiha Sasuke!” A voice made Sasuke flinch. The four looked up, trying to locate the speaker. It wasn’t long before their eyes stopped on the owner of that voice. There, standing on a giant tree branch, was Hyuga Neji and his teammate, Tenten. He had this air of superiority around him that caused Sasuke to scowl. He did not want to appear weak in front of someone else, especially in front of someone like Neji. He seemed to like looking down on the weak and criticizing them. “We originally came looking for our teammate, and yet we find you practically groveling at the enemy’s feet,” Neji continued. Sasuke tried not to roll his eyes. “You are unfit to be a ninja. Being beaten by the likes of them.”

“So, you finally learn my name, and this is how you decide to woo me?” Sasuke asked, caustically. The smug expression instantly dropped from the Hyuga’s face. His teammate blinked rapidly before shifting her attention to Neji. “Because, I have to say, I’m not impressed. I hope that’s not how you treat all your crushes.”

“I do _not_ have a crush on you!"

“Then why are you blushing?”

Tenten giggled, clearly amused by the banter.

“You-!”

“Listen, you just caught me at a bad time,” Sasuke cut in. “The back and forth of battle is normal. I assure you that any groveling you see will be from them in the end.”

“We’ll see,” Neji replied, narrowing his eyes. “But it appears _you_ won’t be the one to show me this time.” Sasuke furrowed his brow, confused by the words. Then, he heard it. The voice of his teammate filled the air.

“Some of them want to use you…” Goosebumps suddenly formed on Sasuke’s arms and his hair stood on end. He slowly turned his head, eyes settling on the owner of the singing. A lone figure, easily recognized as his pink-haired teammate, slowly walked forward. “Some of them want to get used by you…” Walking and singing, Mayu did not appear aware of her surroundings just yet. Lost in her own world, she stalked forward. Voice like a haunting melody. Without consciously thinking of it, Sasuke triggered his Sharingan. “Some of them want to abuse you…” The Uchiha saw and felt the copious amount of chakra swirling around his teammate. “Some of them want… to be… _abused_.” Flames seemed painted all over her skin, including her face. Then the flames turned pitch black as unwavering green eyes finally sharpened.

Sasuke was not the only one to shudder. _“What happened to her…?”_ he thought. He recognized it, though. Unbidden, thoughts to that day on the bridge flooded his mind. She had transformed into a fiery storm of fury and destruction. However, this was marginally different somehow. Before, he senses had snapped to attention, intrigued by the transformation—the new side of his teammate. The avenger. Now, Mayu’s presence seemed _heavy_. … Like the chakra wanted to constrict any close enough. Vile. Tainted. Malevolent. _“She’s not doing anything… but my body’s reacting like she’s dangerous._ ”

“Sasuke,” she spoke, unknowingly interrupting the Uchiha’s thoughts. “You’re hurt. Got overconfident again, huh?” Her words were playful but did not quite hide the malice. “Lee-san is hurt as well.” Her darkened green eyes slid towards the unconscious shinobi. A slow sigh left her. “Such an unforgivable sight. Don’t you agree?”

Sasuke opened his mouth but no words reached his tongue. Instead, he winced at the surge of pain from moving. Mayu frowned then, expression hardening. Lip twitching, she looked towards the Sound ninja. Kin flinched and took several steps back. She, too, could feel the frightening chakra that surrounded the Leaf kunoichi. Sasuke struggled to stand. And although the pain was immense, he still managed to do so. “Mayu,” he whispered. “Your body—it’s different. You’re different.” The kunoichi lifted her arm, examining the dark marks littering her skin.

“You don’t have to worry about that.” Her eyes looked back at the three Sound ninja. “I’m sure this is only temporary.” Mayu turned her back to the Uchiha.

“Just who the hell are you?!” Zaku yelled, annoyed.

“Now… why would a foolish, soon-to-be-dead, boy need that information?” Mayu questioned. She smiled, and then pointed a finger at Dosu. “For your insolence, you are first.”

Suddenly, large fangs drove deep into Dosu’s forearm. He screamed in surprise, though most of it was from the pain. Zaku stepped away from his teammate, eyes wide in shock. “A tiger…?!” Dosu continued to scream, and yet the fangs only went deeper.

“N-No wa-way…” Kin murmured, watching her teammate try to get his arm free, but to no avail.

Mayu’s smile turned cruel. Green eyes watched the blood flow like a stream down Dosu’s arm and onto the ground below. “Wonderful. But I don’t think he’ll be able to use that arm anytime soon,” she remarked. “Might as well throw the whole thing away… Rip. It. _Off_.” Dosu’s visible eye widened in fear.

“Wh-What…?! No! Sto-Stop it!” His pleas were ignored as the feline shook its head, trying to remove the fragile arm from his socket. “Ple-Please…! I beg of you, stop!” Tears ran down his cheek, but those were ignored as well.

Everyone else seemed too shocked to move. Even Dosu’s teammates remained rooted to spot, watching the atrocity. With one last yank, the large tiger completely torn the arm from the rest of the body. The muffled scream was enough to snap his teammates out of their stunned silence. “Dosu…!” the two yelled in unison. The tiger quickly moved away from the boy, who had fallen to his knees. Blood gushed from his open wound, staining the ground red.

The tiger walked to Mayu’s side. The kunoichi kept her eyes on the maimed shinobi and stroked the animal’s head for a job well done. The tiger dropped the useless, bloodied arm and purred. Mayu chuckled lightly. “You know, I could make a pun about being disarmed… but that’d be too good for you,” she said. The standing Sound shinobi sharply turned to her, glaring hard. He screamed out a threat and rushed at her. “Next.” Unflinching, Mayu stood her ground and pointed. Before the enemy shinobi could reach her, another tiger mauled him against the ground. His arm suffered the brunt of the fangs. Frightened eyes stared in horror at the large beast. “You like them? They’re faster than your average big cat. I suppose living in this forest they would have to be. Survival of the fittest and whatnot.”

Tears welled in Kin’s eyes as she watched her comrade try to fight off the huge animal. His punches seemed to have little to no effect. “Zaku…” she whispered. Her eyes took a glance at her one-armed teammate. “Dosu…” Lastly, her eyes settled on the sinister grin on the Leaf ninja’s face. Her body shook. Even without seeing skill, Kin found herself very much afraid. If the rest of these Leaf ninja decided to partake, she and her team would die. In service to a man that had set them up for this situation.

“Last, but not least,” Mayu continued, shifting gleeful eyes towards the Sound kunoichi. “It’s your turn, girl.” She pointed a finger again. “Are you ready?”

“Mayu, stop!” Sasuke ordered. He frowned deeply as the girl slowly faced him. “You’re overdoing it. Tell it to stop _now_.”

Mayu blinked once. After a few tense seconds, she lowered her arm. “Stop,” she commanded. The tiger immediately removed its fangs from Zaku’s arm. The black marks on her skin became flames before retracting to the three tomoe on her arm. The mark glowed red, and then settled on black. The tiger came to stand at the kunoichi’s side. The strength left her then, causing Mayu to drop to the ground. Sasuke approached her, heart beating rapidly within his chest. He watched his teammate pant harshly, trying to compose herself.

“Mayu…” he murmured, lowering himself in front of her. She lifted her arm and her fingers curled around his shoulder. Mayu squeezed her eyes shut, breathing through clenched teeth now. “What… was that?”

“You are stronger than we are,” Kin’s voice caused the two Leaf ninja to look towards her. She had a scroll in her hand. She tossed it over to them. Sasuke recognized it as the Earth scroll. His dark eyes grew wide. “Please accept this, and in exchange… you let us go. I take my teammates and go. Please… just let us go.”

“Kin, what are you-”

“Shut _up_ , Zaku!” the girl snapped at her teammate. “We’re leaving now!”

The spiky-haired male grumbled, and then stood. He moved over to his teammates, leaving a trail of blood from his arm. Kin picked up Dosu, and then jumped away. “This isn’t over!” Zaku muttered before he jumped away as well.

Sasuke ignored the parting words and returned his focus on his teammate. She trembled, perhaps under the weight of what happened. He had never known Mayu to behave so cruelly. Now, she loved the thrill of a good fight. She was a fighter through and through. But she hadn’t even fought. She clearly had gotten some twisted satisfaction from watching beasts do the dirty work. It was not like her at all. Sasuke knew she would rather fight her own battles, but never that maliciously. Never. What had happened had shaken them both. _“Could it be the mark on her arm?”_ Sasuke wondered, eyeing the tomoe symbol. Without consciously thinking about it, he placed a hand over the mark. _“What the hell is this?”_

“Sasuke…” Mayu whispered, causing the Uchiha to shift his attention to her green eyes. “I-”

“Save it,” he told her. “We need to get out of here.” He stood up, and Mayu nodded before doing the same. Quickly, Sasuke grabbed at the Earth scroll left behind by the enemy. Now, the team had both scrolls. They could head to the tower… Eventually. They all needed to be prepared for whatever came next. Right now, it seemed they were less than ready. After everything, they were physically and mentally not prepared. “Let’s go.” Mayu nodded, expression subdued. Together, they headed back to their safe spot.

Tenten jumped on the ground. She made sure to stay away from the two tigers that growled at her. She hurriedly walked over to her teammate. “Wake up, Lee!” She shook him, causing Lee’s head to go back and forth. Tenten finally dropped her comrade to the ground. Lee looked up at her, obviously confused.

“Tenten…?” he murmured, still unsure. The kunoichi dropped down to his level. “Why are you here?”

“We came to help you,” she answered.

“ _Huh_ …? Where did the Sound ninja go?” Lee looked around, trying to locate the enemy.

“That girl, Sakura—she drove them away.” Tenten’s brown eyes looked over to Sasuke and his teammate as they walked away. “How she did it was scary, but she ended up driving them away.” The kunoichi turned her eyes back to Lee. “We should get out of here.” Lee began to protest, but Tenten was not having it. “Now, Lee! You can worry about your _blossom_ later!” Lee quickly saluted the kunoichi, and then bounded off. Tenten shook her head before following him. With narrowed eyes, she watched the two younger genin until they disappeared behind a large tree. Then, she sighed lightly before jumping up to join the rest of her team. “So…” Tenten shifted brown eyes on her teammate. Sensing her stare, Neji glanced her way as the three hopped from tree to tree. “You have a crush on Uchiha Sasuke?”

“No…!” Neji replied through clenched teeth, cheeks flushing.

“Cute.”

“Tenten, that is _not_ -!”

“ _Ah_! My eternal rival also harbors affection for a member of that team?” Lee spoke, sounding enthused. “Shall we see who first gains a date? My cherry blossom or your _dark raven_!”

“Lee! Don’t be absurd!”

“Neji! There is no need to deny for love is a beautiful thing that holds no bounds!”

0-0

Sasuke sat with his back against the wall. Mayu had already taken care of the senbon wounds. Now, only the dislocated shoulder remained. Mayu had mentioned she could take care of it. She never said how. He stared at her. Too busy watching the fish cook, Mayu did not notice. Naruto, who had become conscious once the fire lit, was… Sasuke turned his eyes to his blond teammate. A flat expression appeared on his face. Naruto was _still_ staring at him with a sour look. “What are you looking at?” he questioned, sounding bored. Sasuke might have already known the answer. After all, the explanation given to Naruto had been less than helpful.

Uzumaki Naruto had been staring since he woke up. Well, at first, he screamed and yelled something about Orochimaru, and then he screamed and pointed at the tigers. Mayu had calmly explained the situation. Sasuke had to hit him over the head a couple time to get him to relax. After that ordeal, Naruto just stared. “Something’s different,” he commented. Sasuke rolled his eyes. “I feel like you guys aren’t telling me something—something important!” The accusation caused Sasuke to shrug, and then wince because of his shoulder. “See…! What happened with that?!”

“ _After_ we eat, Naruto,” Mayu called behind her without turning away from the fire. The two shinobi looked her way. “These are done.” Sticks had been used to cook the fish. She plucked them from the fire and turned to hand them to her teammates. “Dig in.”

“Thanks for the food!” Naruto happily complied. “I’m so hungry!”

“Thanks for the food,” Sasuke echoed in a milder tone. “Let’s eat quickly.”

“I agree,” Mayu said.

The genin of Team 7 ate their food in silence, each having their own thoughts about their situation. Eventually, Naruto broke the silence by sighing in satisfaction. “Man, that really hit the spot!” he exclaimed. “It wasn’t ramen, but it was good, Sakura-chan. Where did you learn how to cook?” Mayu smiled briefly before answering it had been her grandfather. “Wow! Your gramps sounds cool!” The kunoichi nodded her head. Sasuke threw down his stick, finished with his meal. “Anyway, anyway…! What happened while I was knocked out?”

Sasuke took a glance at Mayu. Her head tilted towards the ground, but he could still see her frown. He narrowed his eyes. At least the trembling had stopped. With a light sigh, Sasuke took the initiative and began telling Naruto what happened. He might have left out bits and pieces from the story. Substituted some facts for others. “In the end, we received their Earth scroll,” he finished, shutting his eyes. The story had not included the mark on Mayu’s arm. The kunoichi had wrapped bandages around her arm to hide it. Apparently, she felt the need to.

“You got hurt taking care of those Sound ninja?” Naruto muttered. Sasuke nodded. “ _Sooooo_ …! Now all we gotta do is build up our strength, and then replace the Heaven scroll that guy took from me!”

“Not exactly, Naruto.” Mayu finally spoke up. She crawled over to her things. After rummaging through, she eventually pulled out a scroll. “Here’s the Heaven scroll.” Naruto sputtered in surprise, but Mayu got the gist of what he was trying to ask. “I switched an empty scroll and the real scroll before we encountered anyone. That’s what I did when I asked to see your stuff, remember?” The blond looked confused, and then realization settled in his eyes.

“ _Ah_ …! Sneaky, sneaky, Sakura-chan!” Naruto grinned. Mayu gave a wry smile. “But what about Sasuke’s arm? There’s still a chance that we’ll run into enemies!” The kunoichi nodded, dropped her stick, and then crawled over to Sasuke.

“I’ll take care of that now,” she said, placing one hand on Sasuke’s shoulder, while she placed the other hand on his forearm. The Uchiha winced at her touch. “It’s not dislocated, just merely out of place.” Sasuke gave her a flat expression.

“Isn’t that the same thing?” he questioned, irritated.

“I’m trying to be nice, bird boy,” Mayu retorted, expression mirroring his.

“Your bedside manner sucks, cocoon,” Sasuke said. She scowled. “Just get on with it—whatever you’re about to do.”

Mayu huffed lightly before shifting her gaze to his arm. “Oh, wait, first things first…” Mayu began. She shut her eyes for a few seconds. “Before I go through with this, I have a question for you.”

“What is it?”

_CRACK_

Sasuke let out a massive shriek of pain. “WHAT THE _FUCK_ WAS THAT?!” The Uchiha grunted as he fell forward, grasping his shoulder.

“Well, I was _hoping_ to distract you from the pain… It didn’t work out the way it should have,” Mayu responded, sighing. “My uncle says by thinking pain will come later, it tricks your body into relaxing. The pain will be minimal. I thought by not expecting it, you’d be more surprised than in pain.”

“I’m gonna make sure you _die_ in front of me…!” Sasuke panted.

Tutting, Mayu gently pushed her teammate against the wall of the cave again. She removed his shirt—Sasuke protested but was much too exhausted to push her away—then began wrapping his forearm and shoulder. “Don’t be such a baby, bird brain! It could have been worse!” she scolded. Sasuke only glared at her. “After I’m finished with this, we need to find somewhere else to go. Combined with the smell of cooking fish, Sasuke’s scream probably alerted other teams to our location.”

“Yeah, Sasuke, you big loudmouth!” Naruto chastised.

“You have no room to talk, dumbass!” Mayu tightened the bandage, causing Sasuke to wince and glare again. She tied it into a knot. “You didn’t have to tie it that tight.”

“Yes, I did. It needs to set properly if it’s gonna be any use to you later.” Mayu stood up. “I think you can move it now and only have slight pain.” The kunoichi furrowed her brow. “Listen up!” She put her hands on her hips. “After we leave here, we’ll spend at least a day and a half hiding and recovering. Even if we do come across another team, we will not engage in combat. It would be too dangerous for us. After we are healed up, we’ll head for the tower. Sasuke, did you memorize that diagram Anko-sensei showed us?”

Sasuke nodded in confirmation. He picked up his discarded stick and began drawing in the dirt. After he finished, he pointed to a location on the map. “Judging from the nearby river, I’d say we’re right here,” he said.

“How far will it take to get to the tower from here?” Naruto asked.

“If we don’t encounter enemies, I’d say just a few hours, maybe less than that.”

“Adding the days of recuperation, we should reach the tower with a day to spare,” Mayu commented. “Hopefully, that will give us more time to rest while other teams arrive.” She crossed her arms. “But I think we can be faster.”

“Huh…? What do you mean, Sakura-chan?” Naruto asked. “We can only travel so fast.”

“Yeah, and not to mention our calculations might be a little off,” Sasuke remarked.

“I’m just saying we can speed things up a bit. Not our recovery, but the pace—we can speed that up.”

“How are we supposed to do that?” Naruto questioned.

“Well, my future Hokage, have you ever ridden a tiger?” Mayu asked, grin stretching on her face.

0-0


	15. Together With Our Differences

It had been one day and a half since the encounter with the Sound ninja. During this time, Team 7 had been in hiding. Resting by day and traveling by night. As it turns out, their calculations had been wrong, and the team had gotten lost several times. Fortunately, they had not run into any other enemies during their recuperation. Now, it was day four for the genin of Team 7.

Three tigers slid to a stop on the ground. Each beast carried one genin. Naruto and Sasuke immediately loosened their grip. Around them, the area seemed quiet. In the front, Mayu looked from the left then the right. The kunoichi roughly patted her tiger, and the animal lowered itself to lay down. Judging from the deep blue sky, the morning sun would rise in about an hour. Mayu slid off the tiger’s back, turning to her teammates. “We’ll rest here for about ten minutes,” she told them. “Then we should head for the tower. No more breaks.” The two shinobi nodded before they hopped from their respective tigers.

Mayu stroked the tiger's head, causing the giant feline to purr. The other two came over, nudging at the kunoichi. Clearly, they wanted the same treatment. Naruto watched, blinking. It was a sight. Although, he was grateful for the ride, he still wondered how wildcats became docile kittens in the presence of his teammate. “Ne, Sakura-chan…?” Naruto began, squinting. The kunoichi turned her head, but her hands continued petting the tigers. “How are you controlling these guys?” The shinobi sat down with his legs folded. He gripped both ankles and stared in curiosity. Sasuke kept quiet as he sat down as well. He only glanced at the kunoichi, but he seemed curious, too.

“ _Hmm_ …” Mayu closed her eyes in thought. “I’m not controlling them, Naruto. I guess I just have an affinity with cats.” She opened her eyes and grinned. “I used to chase cats when I was younger. After a while, I learned their movements and behaviors. They flocked to me.” She hummed again. “But I never thought tigers would act the same.”

“It is bizarre,” Sasuke mentioned. “It was only after they got a good whiff of us did they become like this.” Mayu shrugged, not having an answer for that. “Well, in any case, they’re useful.”

“And cute!” Mayu remarked. “I wonder if I can take them out of this forest.”

“I don’t think the proctors will appreciate that,” Sasuke replied.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure taking pets isn’t allowed, Sakura-chan,” Naruto laughed. “Only you would want a pet from this crazy place!”

"They wouldn’t be pets!” Mayu said, and then stuck out her tongue. Naruto returned the gesture. “Anyway, I'll going to go up and see if I can spot the tower from our position." Naruto nodded his head. "Sasuke, you can take off the bandage from your shoulder. After a while, you should be able to move it like usual."

"Right."

"Be back in a sec...!" The kunoichi jumped up, leaving her two teammates behind with three tigers. Naruto continued staring at the three beasts, wondering if he should be cautious now that his teammate had disappeared. However, the large felines simply lounged around without a care. The blond shinobi tilted his head, and then shifted his attention to Sasuke.

" _Oi_...! Sasuke!" Naruto began, watching as he removed his shirt. The Uchiha took out a kunai before turning his head to the blond. "This has been on my mind for a while now..." Sasuke only grunted, focusing more on cutting through the bandages around his shoulder. Mayu had tied it so tightly. Only a kunai would rip through it. He grumbled when he accidently nicked his skin. Luckily, he did not bleed. "It's Sakura-chan... She's different from before," Naruto stated.

" _Itai_...!" Sasuke cut himself. This time, blood seeped through the razor thin line. Narrowing his eyes, the Uchiha turned to Naruto. "What did you say?" Truthfully, he had been startled by the observation from his blond teammate.

"I'm sure you've noticed it, too. Sakura-chan has been different since we became ninja." Naruto frowned a bit, still appearing unsure. "She doesn't hit me as much as she used to back when we were in the Academy. She fights with you and calls you names. She believes in me and helps me be better for when I’ll be Hokage.” Sasuke frowned as well yet said nothing in response. “She also… I know that she liked you before, too, but now I don’t think she likes you like _that_.” Sasuke snorted. “I think Sakura-chan actually views the two of us as her _equals_! She's never looked at me with... respect before she became a ninja."

“Maybe she changed her priorities," Sasuke suggested. “And anyway, do you have a problem with the way she acts now?" He finally removed the bandages. Since enemies could still track them if they acted careless, Sasuke decided to shove the used bandages in his pocket. “Would you rather her go back to belittling you and not giving you the time of day?”

“Sakura-chan didn’t _belittle_ me!” Naruto protested.

“She called you loser with the rest of the class,” Sasuke pointed out.

“So did _you_!”

“That…” Sasuke rolled his eyes. “That was before.” Naruto made a face. “My point is… We were all different during our Academy days. Now, we’re ninja—teammates—so we’ve got no choice to rely on each other. If we’re better—if she’s better than before—then you shouldn't question her behavior."

Naruto hummed loudly and rubbed the back of his head. “I guess…” he finally muttered. “What do you think about Sakura-chan? Don’t you think she’s different, too?”

“I… I didn’t know her well enough before we became teammates,” Sasuke replied. “None of us really knew each other before we became a team, right?” Slowly, Naruto nodded his head. “She’s more tolerable than I expected her to be, though,” he admitted. “You, too, I suppose.”

“ _Eff_ you, Sasuke! I’m amazing!” Naruto nearly shouted. Sasuke rolled his eyes as he slipped on his shirt. “Anyway, I think Sakura-chan is awesome! I’m glad I can call her friend and equal now!”

“ _Aww_!” Mayu dropped down, hands clasped together. Naruto squealed and fell backwards in shock. “I’m so touched my future Hokage views me as a friend and equal!”

“Sakura-chan! You scared me!” Naruto complained, sitting upright again. Mayu only giggled. “What did you see up there?”

“The tower is not far from us, actually,” Mayu replied, sitting down. “Northwest from here. I say, we rest for a few more minutes before heading in that direction. Agreed?” Her teammates nodded their heads. “Great!” She stretched her arms up high and arched her back. “I really hope we can take a nap before the next part. I’m gonna write a strong-worded letter about the duration of this exam. They should have, at least, given us safe zones!”

“Oh!” Naruto blurted, blinking rapidly. “That reminds me!” Both Sasuke and Mayu looked his way. “Something really weird happened during the last part!” The blond shinobi crossed his arms, squeezed his eye shut, and tilted his head towards the ground. “I was mega freaking out about the written test-” Mayu flinched. “-I so thought I was gonna fail before that guy told us about the tenth question but when I stopped cursing the totally unfair test, I noticed that my paper was completely filled out.” Naruto swayed his upper body, unaware of the grimace on Mayu’s face. Or the pointed look Sasuke gave her. “I don’t know if the answers were right or not, but I know that it was your handwriting, Sakura-chan!”

“What? Huh? What are you talking about?” Mayu sputtered.

“You filled out my test, didn’t you?” Naruto questioned, turning uncharacteristic sharp eyes on her. “I know what your handwriting looks like, you know! I don’t know how, but you helped me out, right?”

“ _Um_ …” Mayu averted her gaze.

“But how did you do it without no one seeing you?” Naruto continued, furrowing his brow.

“ _Uh_ … You see… That is…”

“The point of the written test was to see if we could successfully gather information without being caught, Naruto,” Sasuke interrupted the floundering. He sighed lightly and shut his eyes. “Actually, Sakura has an ability that allows her to swap places with a target.” He opened his eyes and stared at Naruto. “Like the Yamanaka clan’s jutsu. She used it in the Land of Waves against Haku.”

“Huh? I don’t remember that!” Naruto said.

“You were unconscious,” Sasuke told him. “Because of her technique, we were able to break free of Haku’s ice.”

“Why are you telling my business, Sasuke?!” Mayu exclaimed.

“You were about to tell him yourself—don’t lie,” Sasuke calmly replied. He narrowed his eyes. “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t say anything _unnecessary_ , which would confuse him, _cocoon_.” Mayu pursed her lips, realizing that Sasuke had directed the narrative to exclude her identity. The Uchiha turned back to Naruto. “During the test, she used her technique to switch places with you in order to give you those answers.”

“Wow…! I had no idea you had a jutsu like that, Sakura-chan!” Naruto said. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

“Honestly, Naruto… I’m still… learning about it,” Mayu mumbled. “It’s a… recent technique that I’ve acquired. Swapping with you would only be the second time I’ve used it. Haku-san was the first. Until I’ve gotten a handle on it, don’t say anything about it to anyone, okay?”

“Yeah, okay, sure,” Naruto shrugged. “It’s pretty cool that you helped me out, so thanks, Sakura-chan!”

“No problem! Anything for my teammates!” Mayu grinned. “Not to change the subject, but… We’re also friends, right?” Naruto grinned back at her and rapidly nodded his head. “Good. Whether we pass this or not, no matter what happens in the future, we’ll be friends for life?” She stretched her arm, palm down. Enthused, Naruto slapped his hand down on top of hers. “ _Oi_!”

“Sorry!” Naruto kept his grin. Then, the two looked Sasuke’s way. The Uchiha made a face. “Come on, Sasuke! Get in on this! Friends for life!”

“ _Hn_.” Appearing annoyed, Sasuke shifted closer. He huffed once before placing his palm on top of Naruto’s hand. “Fine. Friends for life.”

“ _Yosha_!” Mayu cheered, springing her hand up, causing her teammates to do the same. “Okay! Let’s go!” The kunoichi stood up and swiped at her clothes. Naruto jumped up, clearly excited. Mayu moved to her designated tiger, unaware that dark eyes followed her movements. Naruto, though, noticed the stare. But then Sasuke shook his head and headed for his own tiger. Humming to himself, the blond shinobi jumped on his tiger’s back. His blue eyes darted back and forth between his teammates, pondering Sasuke’s weird look. “Like I said before,” Mayu announced. “We head straight for the tower. Stay close, stay quiet, and stay alert.”

“The sun will be up soon—less than forty-five minutes, I’m guessing,” Sasuke mentioned. “We should spread out once that happens.”

“Sure, to survey what another might not be able to,” Mayu agreed with an approving nod. “But don’t go too far away.”

“Right,” Sasuke said.

“You got it!” Naruto confirmed.

“Good, let’s move!”

With that, the team of genin and tigers raced forward.

0~0

The three members of Team 7 panted heavily. They had fallen from the backs, no longer having the strength to keep ahold. Each genin barely remained upright on their hands and knees. Fortunately, they had reached the tower already. However, they silently agreed to catch their breath before going beyond the red doors. High in the sky, the sun shined down on them. It did little in soothing their exhausted bodies. The three, plus the tigers, had faced one final confrontation before arriving at the tower. The enemy was probably in worse shape than Team 7. So… kudos?

Mayu glared down at the cement below her, still irritated. Of course, she should have thought about a possible ambush. In the end, the team had been victorious, but she still berated herself for forgetting those particular ninja in the first place. Well, it had been filler. Not to mention, Kabuto had been with the original Team 7. Different circumstances, so she had gotten comfortable. “Damn… This body is totally drained,” Mayu complained. “What an unnecessary setback!”

“Did you really have to tie them up like that?” Sasuke managed to question between pants. “We left them nude.”

“They should not have hurt my Tony,” Mayu replied with a shrug. Sasuke shook his head. Naruto groaned, body aching, before he completely collapsed. Mayu followed suit, and then turned over on her back. The last fight had taken a lot of stamina. The strange Rain ninja had not necessarily been challenging for them, but they had been quite tedious. Fortunately, the tigers proved essential for carrying them the rest of the way to the tower. Mayu watched Sasuke struggle to stand. The shinobi slipped a hand in his pocket, and then pulled the dark capsule. He quickly opened it and popped a single soldier pill in his mouth. His teeth bit down, and then his body stopped shaking. He relaxed his shoulders and sighed out.

Finally, Sasuke shook two pills out of the capsule and into his palm. He then gave each of his teammates one. Mayu, dramatic as can be, sprang upward with a burst of energy. “Whoa…! That packs a punch! I feel so much better!” Naruto hopped up and nodded his head rapidly in agreement. “We definitely have to get more!”

“Yeah! We’ll have tougher missions after we all get chuunin!” Naruto exclaimed.

“So confident!” Mayu praised. The blond ninja grinned widely. “Let’s go inside now!” The two shinobi nodded, and then headed for the doors. While they went inside, the kunoichi stood up and faced the three tigers. “Thank you for helping us.” She tilted her body at an angle. The tigers stepped closer, nudging the kunoichi with their heads. Mayu smiled fondly and reached out to pet them. “But I do have to wonder why you’ve been so helpful to us. Why am I familiar to you? Too bad you can’t talk and answer me.”

“Sakura-chan…!” Naruto called.

“Oi…! Stop wasting my time!” Sasuke called out, too.

Mayu rolled her eyes but finished petting the tigers. She backed away and waved them off. Seemingly understanding, the three turned and jumped to the nearest tree branch. It had been pretty strange of those wild cats to be so helpful. Mayu narrowed her green eyes as she watched them depart. Then she shrugged. Like Sasuke had mentioned, as long as they were helpful. She supposed it was okay. No need to ponder it further. For now. With a smile, she turned and headed to the doors. She walked inside and shut the doors behind her.

Besides the three genin, the room showed no indication of foot traffic. It appeared deserted and old. There were balconies on opposite sides of the room. A framed banner hung on the wall opposite to the entrance. As the three moved to the center of the room, Sasuke took the initiative of reading the words on the banner. “If you do not possess Heaven, gain knowledge and be prepared,” he began. “If you do not possess Earth, run through the fields and seek strength. If you possess both Heaven and Earth, dangerous paths turn into safe ones. This is the secret of…” The shinobi furrowed his brow. “It shall lead you on your way.”

“The secret…?” Mayu repeated, scratching her cheek. “The secret of what? Obviously, it’s referring to the Heaven and Earth scrolls, but… it’s hella vague on what to do now.”

“It shall lead you on your way…” Sasuke repeated in a mumble. He stared at the ground and crossed his arms. “Since we have both scrolls…” His head suddenly snapped up. “We can open the scrolls now. It’s safe to open since we’ve reached the tower.” He pulled the Earth scroll from his weapon’s pouch. “The secret must be in these. Further instructions.”

“Right. Nice idea, bird boy,” Mayu complimented, pulling out the scroll she carried. Sasuke scowled at the nickname but said nothing. In near sync, she and Sasuke unraveled the scrolls. Naruto shifted his upper body back and forth, looking at both scrolls. “ _Uhh_ …” Mayu squinted and held the scroll closer to her face. “I do not know what I’m looking at.”

“Is it another riddle? Oh man, I’m not good at those!” Naruto pouted and crossed his arms. “I’d rather just get it over with! Why all this pointless paperwork?!”

“Sasuke, you wanna tell him? Because I’m about to hurt his feelings,” Mayu said, grinning cheekily.

“Huh…? What’s the mean?” Naruto asked.

Sasuke ignored the banter and continued looking at the scroll in his hands. Without warning, the paper bulged before spewing smoke. “This is a summoning inscription. Throw it down,” he ordered. Mayu shrugged, and then followed the instruction. Sasuke, too, tossed the scroll. The paper fluttered together and fell to the ground. The smoke filled nearly half the room. “Another test…?” he muttered, taking a step back. “If it’s another snake, I’m quitting right now.” Both Naruto and Mayu shuddered and stepped back with him. The smoke finally dissipated. Instead of a giant snake, a familiar human stood before them. “Y-You…?”

“It’s been a long time, right?” Umino Iruka, their former instructor, greeted them with a friendly smile. Naruto gaped and pointed a finger. “Don’t be rude, Naruto,” he scolded half-heartedly. “Looks like you three went through a lot of trouble.” Mayu pressed her lips together, refraining from giving a sarcastic response. “At the end of the second exam, it’s setup so that we chuunin meet up with the team who has taken the test,” Iruka explained. “I was given the duty to pass you three a message by chance.”

“By chance…?” Mayu repeated, sounding suspicious. “You sure you just didn’t want to see your unofficial adoptive son?” To her surprise and delight, Iruka’s cheeks flushed. “ _Hohoho_! You totally did, Iruka-sensei! How _cute_!” She pointed her finger and giggled in glee. Naruto shyly rubbed the back of his head.

“An-Anyway! Congratulations on passing the second phase of the Chuunin Exam,” Iruka sputtered. “I would treat you all to ramen at Ichiraku, but…” The man did not finish because Naruto whooped in glee. The blond shinobi, clearly happy, clung to his former instructor and cheered loudly.

“Yeah! Ramen! Ramen!” he exclaimed. “I did it! I’m the best! I want to eat ramen!” Iruka stumbled back, attempting to juggle the extra weight. The man laughed, infected by Naruto’s joy. “Iruka-sensei, you’re so awesome! I’m gonna eat so much!”

“Relax, Naruto,” Iruka said, eventually prying the blond from his person. “Geez, you’re still as restless as before.” His smile lingered. “Though, I will say that I’m quite surprised you three made it in here in four days. Usually, it takes first-timers the full five days.”

“Don’t underestimate us for a second, Iruka-sensei!” Mayu said, clenching her fists. “After all, we were trained by the best!”

“So, bow down like the rest!” Naruto finished enthusiastically.

"Hn..."

“That’s emo for ‘Hell yeah! We number one! We run this, sensei! Thanks for putting me on the best team!’ I’ve gotten pretty good at translating,” Mayu informed the chuunin. “He’s such a drama queen, ne?”

The chuunin's smile grew as Sasuke brought down his hand in a chopping motion against Mayu’s head. The kunoichi screeched. "Well, rest up, you three. One more day and the results will be in,” he told them. “Follow me and I’ll show you to a room you can put up your feet for a while.”

"Oi...! What do we do for food?! I'm hungry!" Mayu asked, gingerly rubbing her head. “Please tell me there’s a working toilet around here somewhere.”

"Of course..." Iruka frowned and tilted his head to the side. His gaze focused on Mayu, and she immediately flinched, warily staring back at him. The man narrowed his eyes as though suspicious. Of her behavior. He probably thought his former pupil seemed different. “For now, follow me please.” Apparently shrugging it off, the chuunin turned and began walking away. Unconcerned, Naruto followed. Mayu released a sigh of relief.

“Cocoon,” Sasuke remarked, shaking his head.

0~0

“I can’t believe Iruka-sensei gave us food pills instead of real _food_.” Naruto sighed loudly, thoroughly put out. He would not be enjoying ramen for a while longer. His back hit the soft mattress. The team had been given a room to rest. There had been others as well, but those doors had been shut. Right now, they did not have a clue who else had passed the second part. Fortunately, the room had a large bed for resting and a sink for mild cleaning. The bed did not have pillows or a bedspread. The sink did not have cloths. The bare minimum. But exhausted genin would take it.

“You’re telling me.” Mayu plopped down next to the blond. She rested her head on his stomach, releasing a weary sigh. “I wanna eat. I wanna _chew_!” Her proclamation garnered a grunt of agreement from Naruto. “After this, I hope we actually get to eat. Next time, we’re bringing our own food!” Sasuke also lied on the bed, placing his head on Mayu’s stomach.

“Stop complaining already.” He closed his eyes. “Let’s just be grateful that we get to rest easy for a little bit.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Mayu breathed deeply, closing her eyes.

Pretty soon, the three lost the battle to sleep. Naruto snored. Mayu cooed a bit. Sasuke made faces. Gradually, the team of three shifted their positions, restless until their bodies aligned and cuddled with one another. Mayu snuggled between the two shinobi. Naruto and Sasuke wrapped their arms around her, heads on her shoulders. Obviously for warmth. For a bit, they could completely rest without having to worry about the world outside their room. The three ninja slept deeply, content in each other’s embrace.

X number of hours later, a knock at the door did not manage to disturb their slumber. Since there was no answer, Hatake Kakashi opened the door and walked in. The jounin halted for a moment, surprised by the sight of his team on top of the bed. They clung to one another, sleeping peacefully. After a moment, Kakashi shut his eyes, feeling a smile form on his face. It was a bizarre sight but not unwelcomed. A stark contrast to his own experience. Perhaps… Shaking thoughts of the past from his mind, before they could fully form, Kakashi stepped closer.

He would let them sleep for a bit longer. Deciding, he moved over to a chair and sat. Kakashi crossed his arms, observing the three genin. Clearly, they had gone through quite a struggle to make it this far. Their bruised and dirtied bodies indicated such. While he knew the test was a grueling affair, he wondered just what had happened. Too bad observation had not been allowed before the next phase. The jounin eyed their entangled legs and tilted his head to the side. It was quite the wonder how close they seemed with each other now. Touching each other so willingly seemed unusual. Especially for the lone Uchiha.

Kakashi’s visible eye narrowed in thought. “Perhaps… He feels he doesn’t have to distance himself from others,” he murmured. In the beginning, Uchiha Sasuke lacked _warmth_. Expected given what had happened. His warmth had been snatched by a man he called brother. An entire clan wiped out with only one survivor. Of course, the child would not think like a child after that. He grew up too fast in peaceful times. Sasuke had a goal and he fully intended to harden himself into a blade for that goal. However, things were… different with him. He no longer behaved like a sword of wrath. Each day seemed to bring him further out of the darkness that surrounded his heart. Sasuke’s teammates had been great influences on his outlook. Kakashi never thought he would see the day. And yet, the day had arrived. The destination of his path would not change. However, perhaps how he reached the goal would not be so dark.

The man felt himself smiling again as he shifted his focus on the blond. Probably the most surprising out of the bunch. The boy lacked focus and precision. No form to speak of in terms of fighting. However, he made up for those things with fortitude and stamina. He struggled to learn. Struggled like no other. Well, he was easily distracted when it came to many things. Still, he pushed through training and mission. Clumsily, perhaps. But somehow, he managed to exceed any expectation placed on him. His fierce determination inspired those around him. Soon, though, Kakashi believed his luck would transform into actual skill. He had support now. A certain type of support he did not have before. Encouragement. That source came from two places. Sasuke as his rival. And… Kakashi flickered his eyes to the kunoichi of the team.

Admittedly, he had not been expecting this type of girl on his squad. Because of that, he had initially brushed her off. It had not been right of him, but judging from her Academy record, could anyone really blame him? He had not thought twice about her abilities. However, the kunoichi proved time and time again that she could violently break preconceived notions. Kakashi rubbed his chin, remembering the strike she had landed on him. That collision had caused him to reevaluate the kunoichi. Somewhat. It had not been until the Land of Waves that he began considering her. She had what it took to go far in this career. The innocence of a child, but the heart of a true warrior.

This team differed from his own genin team. There were, of course, similarities. Fortunately, they were not mirror images. Fortunately. Together, this team weaved around each other like a braid. They would grow and flourish. Comrades in arms. Friends. Perhaps unofficial family. Something Kakashi had not had a chance for. Perhaps this generation will be better. Before he could sink in his memories, the jounin stood up. He had given his cute team long enough after all.

He walked to the sink and turned the faucet on. Placing both pinkies under the flow of water, he hummed a bit. After waiting a few more seconds, he turned the water off. Still humming pleasantly, he headed back to the bed. He leaned forward, slipping his pinkies in the boys’ opposite ears. Sasuke violently flinched while Naruto screamed. The sharp jerky movement combined with the scream effectively woke up the kunoichi. “What?! We under attack?! Where’s my weapons?!” Without opening her eyes, she turned her head left and right, apparently attempting to locate the enemy with her other senses. Neither shinobi answered her. They were far too busy furiously rubbing at their violated ears.

Kakashi could not contain his laugh. The three froze before looking to their sensei. They blinked in confusion. Then came the realization. “Kakashi-sensei?!” Naruto shouted. “What the hell did you do that for?!” Angered, he pointed a menacing finger at the jounin. Sasuke sneered, narrowing his dark eyes. Kakashi remained unbothered. His laughter settled and he crossed his arms.

“Sorry, sorry… That was the only way to wake you at the same time,” Kakashi replied, unrepentant. “How convenient your sleeping arrangements are.”

“I’ll rearrange your face in a minute!” Naruto threatened. He attempted to lunge at his sensei. However, his other arm remained wound around his teammate’s body. Both shinobi realized the position of their arms at the same time. The kunoichi between them blinked once. Twice. Three times. “Ah…! Sa-Sakura-chan! This isn’t what it looks like!”

“What is happening? Why are you screaming? Calm down! _Relaxation_!” The girl then yawned, stretching her mouth wide. “If it’s not important, I’m going back to bed.” Without waiting for any type of response, her arms wrapped around her teammates’ necks and pulled them down for more cuddling. This, of course, caused both shinobi to scream for a different reason entirely. Kakashi watched the three struggle. Sasuke trying vehemently to remove himself away from the embrace. Naruto comically gasping for air and swatting at the arm that held him. The kunoichi seemingly uncaring of their efforts.

“So much chaos,” Kakashi remarked as though he hadn’t been the one to cause it. The jounin then cleared his throat in order to gain their attention. Fortunately, it was enough to stop the struggle. Arms unwound from each other and the three genin sat up, ready for instruction. Such a cute team… “In five minutes, you three are scheduled to meet in that room Iruka-sensei showed you earlier.” He lifted his hands and formed a seal. “Don’t be late.” No further warning, the jounin disappeared in a small cloud of white smoke.

The room grew quiet. Mayu began rubbing her bandaged arm as another yawn left her mouth. “Sorry about that,” she finally spoke up. “I cuddle anything in my sleep. I have _so_ many stuffed animals.”

“I’m not surprised,” Sasuke muttered with a roll of his eyes. Then he noticed that the kunoichi had not stopped rubbing her arm. “Is that bothering you?” he questioned. Mayu immediately stopped, and then waved away his concern. “If it’s bothering you, then-”

“It’s a slight itch, bird boy—I’m fine,” Mayu interrupted. “Just need some type of ointment for it. Maybe I can use some of Hinata’s stuff. She’s great at making home remedies.”

“Hinata…?” Sasuke repeated.

“Anyway, let’s head to that place now,” Mayu said. She then lifted her arms in a stretch. “I can’t wait to see who all passed with us!” With a giggle, she jumped off the bed and began looking for her sandals. Finding them, she quickly slipped them on. “Put your shoes on and let’s go already!” With that order, the kunoichi trotted out of the room. Naruto’s blue eyes went from the door to his teammate.

“Sasuke…” he began.

“I’ll tell you about it later. Right now, we’ve got less than three minutes. Hurry and get ready.” Naruto nodded his head.

0~0

Mayu yawned loudly as she listened to the Hokage go on and on about the true purpose of the exam. Because of her obviously rude action, she received several glares, one being from her sensei. In all honesty, the kunoichi didn’t care for the glares. She still felt quite tired. Not exhausted anymore but still not at one hundred percent. Still bored, and not paying the leader any attention, her green eyes scanned those around her.

Naruto stood in front of her. Sasuke stood behind her. The rookie nine, Lee’s team, and the team from the Sand had made it. Along with a few other teams, including those from Sound, also stood at attention. Mayu frowned as she eyed the one-arm mummified shinobi. To an extent, she felt bad. Yes, he had been her enemy, but she had been responsible for his dismemberment. She had never done something like that before. A good fight should not leave an opponent mutilated. Because then it would only be senseless torture. Mayu looked down at the floor. Dosu had begged her to stop. He had even cried. And yet… The shinobi from the Sound village still had both of his sleeves, but it was still noticeable that one of his arms was gone. Mayu briefly wondered how the guy was going to fight.

Out of the seventy-eight participants, only twenty-one made it this far. They, including several jounin, the Hokage, and Iruka, were all in a large room. A giant statue of the ram seal towered over them all. Mayu moved eyes over the sensei of the teams. Green eyes stopped on the one from the Sound village. Mayu produced a flat look. Orochimaru was not even trying with that disguise. The known stranger seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face. Then his golden eyes fixed on her. The girl quickly averted her gaze and grabbed her arm. The itch became increasingly annoying. She was not surprised by the man’s ire. After all, she had thwarted his plans for Sasuke. What happened had not been the plan. For either herself or Orochimaru.

With no warning, a man appeared before the genin. His appearance startled Mayu out of her thoughts. She watched the man bow in respect to the Hokage. She recognized him, of course. The sickly proctor of the preliminaries. “I apologize, Hokage-sama…” the man began. “But as referee, please allow me to take it from here.” The elder man was silent for a few moments.

“By all means…”

The man rose from his crouched position, and then finally turned to the teams. “Hello, my name is Hayate.” Mayu grimaced. He looked even sicker than she remembered. The man coughed. “Before the third test, there’s… something I’d like you to do…” He coughed again, this time more violently. A sweat drop slid down a few genin heads. Hayate sighed wearily before continuing. “ _Um_ … It’s a preliminary for the third test to decide who gets to participate in the main event.”

“ _Preliminary_ …?!” Shikamaru actually sounded upset. This exam was taking away precious cloud-watching time, after all. Mayu almost snickered at his response. He probably thought this sort of promotion seemed too troublesome for his tastes. “What do you mean?!”

“To put it bluntly-” He coughed again. “-there’s too many of you. The first and second exams have been too easy this year. According to the rules, we must have a preliminary-” Another cough. “-to reduce the people remaining. As Hokage-sama said before, there are very important clients attending the main event. The fights could take too long for their liking.” Awkward pause. “So… yeah… anyone who is not feeling up to the challenge, please come forward since we’re having the preliminary right now.”

“What?! Right now?!” Kiba questioned, sounding as annoyed as Shikamaru.

Mayu narrowed her eyes, remembering this beginning quite clearly. Kabuto, with whatever ulterior motive, backed out before the preliminaries began. As if on cue, the glasses-wearing spy raised his hand and asked if he could quit. “Only someone with a secret purpose would come this far just to quit,” Mayu murmured loud enough so that her teammates could here. “Like I said before, don’t trust not a word he says.” She could not stop herself from glaring at the man’s departing back. Both Naruto and Sasuke frowned but nodded at her words.

Hayate coughed. “Is there anyone else that wants to leave?” No one responded. “This is your last chance…” Again, no one replied to his warning. He shrugged a bit. “Very well. We will now move on. This preliminary will consist of one-on-one fights.”

“One v one me, bro,” Mayu muttered, amused. Sasuke nudged the back of her head to quiet her. “Rude…!”

“As if these were real confrontations, you will fight like your life is on the line,” Hayate continued. “Since we now have twenty people left, there will be ten matches. The winners of those matches will advance to the third test.” He coughed again. “There’s basically no rules for this. The fight will continue until one gets killed or knocked out. If you don’t want to get killed, admit your defeat. If some of you are too stubborn to admit that, I will jump in and stop things. We really don’t want— _cough_ , _cough_ , _cough_ —more dead bodies.” He stared at the faces of the remaining twenty. “The two that will fight each other will be decided by-” A cover lifted on the far wall, revealing a giant flat screen. “-this electric scoreboard. Yes, it’s sudden, but the first match up will be announced right now.”

Random names flashed across the giant screen. Everyone stared, waiting for the first match up. However, Mayu twisted her expression in befuddlement. _“Just… when in the heck are we?”_ she thought. The kunoichi sighed lightly, shutting her eyes for a moment. _“Kishimoto-sama really didn’t make that clear…”_ The names stopped flashing, exposing the first fight. Already knowing, Mayu nearly lost focus, only glancing briefly at the screen. Sasuke versus one of Kabuto’s teammates, right? However, another nudge from said teammate caused her to look again. Her lips parted, truly shocked by the turn of events.

**Hyuga Hinata**

**VS.**

**Haruno Sakura**

**Inner Mayu: What in the actual fu-?!**

0~0


	16. Makes Me That Much Stronger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you try to come for me, I am going to say that I have no expertise when it comes to the use of chakra. I don't know how it works, so if you continue reading this and think "That's not right...! How the heck-?" its probably is not right in terms of canon. My excuse is: This is fanfiction. _Anything goes_! Read on if you dare!

Silence enveloped the room. No one made a sound. A lip twitched as green eyes read over the names again, hoping for a misunderstanding. However, the names appeared clear as day. Much to the girl’s displeasure. Kunoichi versus kunoichi. Haruno versus Hyuga. Friend versus friend. Mayu refrained from sighing heavily. This was not just a personal preference. This was canon on the line. Well. Canon had already been tossed out of the window. It seemed she now walked a path untraveled. This change was just another drastic turn to the original plot. She should really start rolling with the punches by now. Still, this certain change made her grimace. She had been looking forward to fighting Ino. She had been interested to see how Sasuke fought without the cursed mark hindering his methods. Most importantly, she had wanted to see Hyuga versus Hyuga up close.

Important because Hinata versus Neji had sparked the _NaruHina_ movement. That fight initiated the campaign for fans worldwide. For her, at least. Naruto finally _noticed_ , after all. And made vows. It had been _precious_. Now, this development meant that it would not happen. Boo. Why did her presence have to change the good stuff, too? Mayu poked out her lower lip. Maybe if she stayed quiet, she could just ignore the first fight.

Hayate coughed, interrupting the dreadful silence and dashing Mayu’s hope completely. "Now, these two, please step forward." The kunoichi sighed aloud. No use in delaying this. From the corner of her eye, she saw Hinata slowly making her way to the front. Mayu sighed again. Guess she had no choice. She, too, moved to the front. She stood beside the Hyuga, and then faced her. Pale eyes stared back, expression neutral for now. Mayu hunched and tried not to sigh again. Hinata fiddled with her two index fingers. Her cheeks gained a pink hue. Still, she did not look away from her opponent. “The two participants in the first fight are Hyuga Hinata and Haruno Sakura. Are you ready?”

“Sure,” Mayu said.

“Y-Yes,” Hinata replied.

“Alright then. We will now start the match,” Hayate stated. He gestured to the left and right balconies. “Will everyone, except the two participants, please move to the upper levels?” The eighteen remaining genin moved quickly up the stairs, dispersing to either the left or right. Mayu glanced at her team, nearly wishing she could join them. Then she caught onyx eyes staring back at her. Mayu blinked, watching his lips move. His eyebrow twitched before he turned his head and focused on climbing the stairs. _Use it_ , he told her. Hm. Perhaps she should. Naruto’s loud greeting interrupted any further pondering.

Startled, Mayu sharply looked to her right. Kakashi clamped a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t push yourself too hard, Sakura,” he told her. “If it goes too far, I will jump in and stop it.” The kunoichi furrowed her brow. Had that been encouragement or words of warning? She clenched her teeth. She might not want to fight Hinata, but that did not mean she wanted interference. A scoff nearly left her mouth as she watched her sensei walk away. Did he plan to tell Naruto and Sasuke the same? How rude. She would definitely kick him if he- Oh.

He knew about the mark. Mayu pursed her lips, annoyed. Her fingertips lightly grazed her bandaged arm. Maybe he would not have known had she not kept messing with it. The mark bothered her—like an itch she could not scratch—but not the same level as what Sasuke would have experienced. She wondered why. Another advantage of possessing this body perhaps. The combined endurance could be keeping the pain at bay. It had already made it so that she had woken earlier than anticipated, so the idea wasn’t farfetched.

“I never thought-” Hinata’s soft voice brought Mayu out of pondering. “-we would have to fight each other here, Sakura-chan.”

“You have no idea how much I thought the same thing, Hinata-chan,” Mayu returned. She scratched at her cheek, giving a nervous grin. “Even so… I doubt I’ll hold back. I’m sure you understand.”

“Y-Yes,” Hinata lowered her arms. “I could not bear to appear weak in front of those I admire.” The kunoichi smiled lightly. “You included.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Mayu told her, feeling heat settle in her cheeks. “So, don’t hold back on me. If you do, you’re going to regret it.”

“Yes,” Hinata replied. “I will not hold back… or run away.”

“Alright,” Hayate said. “You may begin.”

Hinata lowered herself, body forming the standard stance of her taijutsu. Veins bulged around the kunoichi’s eyes. Her normally soft expression hardened just a bit. Mayu licked her lips and curled her fists. Gentle versus hard fist. Instead of Sasuke, she was hindered by the mark. She could not rely too much on her chakra. Or had it been ninjutsu? Or just the Sharingan? She did not have a doujutsu, though. Would be all right with only using taijutsu against the Gentle Fist? She was about to find out.

Above the two, hands wrapped around the railing, Naruto and Sasuke observed the two kunoichi. Then the tense silence was broken by a snort. The two shinobi shifted their eyes to the one responsible. Hyuga Neji’s gaze did not falter from the opponents down on the main floor. “She’s going to lose,” he remarked, uninterested. He crossed his arms, pearl eyes narrowing. Naruto’s eyebrow twitched. “I doubt she has what it takes.”

“Hey…! Don’t underestimate our teammate!” Naruto shouted while pointing a finger. Neji merely scoffed. “I’ll kick your ass if you insult Sakura-chan again!”

“I’m not insulting your teammate,” Neji stated. “I meant Hinata. _She_ will lose.”

“And what makes you so sure?” Naruto grumbled. “What—are you psychic?”

The older shinobi ignored the sarcasm. “Because she is nothing but a failure,” he answered. Naruto’s eyebrow twitched again. “She’s too nice and kind. She’s easily swayed by others. Hinata was never meant to be a ninja. There is no way she will win this fight, regardless of your teammate’s abilities, or… lack thereof.” 

“What’d you say?!” Naruto shouted.

“Can you not hear?” Neji retorted.

“Sasuke! You better get your suitor! Because I’m about to give him a black eye and a broken nose for good measure!

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Tenten giggled.

Neji twitched in annoyance.

Naruto did not care for any of the reactions. He glared at the haughty Hyuga, absolutely pissed. Sure, he had confidence in his teammate’s abilities, but this guy did not have to tell the results of the fight before they even started. It pissed him off that the arrogant Hyuga stated that his own cousin would lose. It was not a fact. Just because he thought of Hinata as a failure did not mean his former classmate would lose at everything. Naruto huffed. He would pay to see Hinata grind Neji into paste. Maybe he was getting too heated about people he didn’t necessarily know. Or maybe the world failure resonated in his mind. A failure… Something he had been called relentlessly. Maybe what he felt was kinship.

“Defend yourself!” Naruto sharply turned his head, focusing on the kunoichi below. The two girls stared each other down before racing towards one another. Hinata attacked first. With a battle cry, her palm moved to strike Mayu’s chest. Luckily, the girl ducked, successfully dodging Hinata’s attack. The two seemed to be dancing around one another at a fast pace, attacking and dodging. So far, the two had not landed any hits. It was not working. The two kunoichi knew each other’s moves too well. Something must change if either intended to win.

Finally, Mayu delivered a roundhouse kick. The heel of her foot connected with Hinata’s chin. The crack of skin against shoe echoed as the Hyuga rolled away. Mayu blinked slowly as she lowered her leg. That felt… deliberate. Green eyes narrowed, watching the Hyuga stand.

“As I first thought,” Neji began. “Even with her apparent advantage, she still couldn’t stop someone from actually landing a hit on her. Truly pathetic.” Naruto scoffed. He was getting sick of hearing that arrogant tone. It was bad enough he heard it from Sasuke from time to time. His hands clutched the railing as his blue eyes stayed focused on the two girls.

“Your kicks… have gotten stronger, Sakura-chan,” Hinata remarked. She rubbed her chin, trying to dull the pain she felt. Mayu nodded. That wasn’t the only thing. She had noticed that it took little time for Hinata to stand up from that. The first time she had been hit in the face, their secret training session ended. No one had ever hit Hinata in the face with a lot of force before. That was understandable, so Mayu had let it slide. Once. Now, it appeared that she did not need to let it slide. She grinned, pleased by the show of fortitude. “It appears you’re forcing me to reveal a difference. You know my style too well, Sakura-chan.”

“Indeed,” Mayu agreed. “How about you show me what’s up your sleeve?”

Hinata nodded, and then reached behind her, hands slipping into her weapon’s pouch. She revealed her hands then, showing off two projectiles. Like shuriken but it appeared larger. The silver spikes curled, and Hinata gripped the middle, palms pressed comfortably. The Hyuga slowly crossed her arms in preparation of flinging the metallic weapons. “Prepare yourself…!” Hinata jerked her arms forward, letting her strange weapons fly. They sliced through the air, heading quickly towards Mayu.

The green-eyed kunoichi found herself smirking. In terms of objects flying at her, she never failed to dodge. After that Haku fiasco, she pushed herself too hard in order to quicken her speed. No way would she allow herself to be a pincushion again. Projectiles, even those she had never seen before, would not work on her now. The weapons spun like a tornado, a low buzz emitting as it traveled. Mere centimeters away, Mayu leaned back. Her palms touched the ground. Grimacing, she watched the two projectiles whizz pass her face, and then impale in the wall behind her. Nearly gasping, she saw the damage they caused. The weapons had created large dents upon impact. Just how heavy were they? With a grunt, Mayu forced herself straight, only to see Hinata rushing at her, palm at the ready. Ah. A distracting tactic.

Too late, Mayu could not stop the palm from hitting her abdomen. The force behind the strike propelled her backwards. She rolled away from the Hyuga and eventually came to a stop, sprawled against the floor. She flinched as though she had been shocked. Her arms trembled as she pushed herself from the ground. Then, she heard the distinct buzzing. Eyes widening, she barely dodged Hinata’s weapons in time. She hopped to the side just as the spikes glided pass and returned to Hinata’s awaiting hand. Not just distracting. They were a part of her style. She controlled the movement.

Hinata wore a small frown. “I feel as though… you’re not taking me seriously,” she murmured. “Are you holding back after all, Sakura-chan?” Mayu flinched. “I-I think I have truly become stronger. Because of you. Because of another. I feel… certain of myself, and I had hoped to-to show you—everyone—that I am stronger than before. However-” The kunoichi shook her head. “-how can I accomplish such a thing when my opponent is not giving their all?”

“ _Errr_ … There’s kinda a reason for that,” Mayu confessed. She scratched her cheek and looked to the ceiling. She felt a bit guilty. But what could she do in this situation? Adapt, a small voice urged her. _“Well, I’m a little bit afraid of what happens if this mark spreads like last time…”_ she thought, frowning. _“It’s not like I want to mutilate another person. Especially a friend.”_

“Whatever your reason,” Hinata began, slipping easily back into her stance. “Are you going to allow yourself to be defeated like this? Are you going to be the one full of regrets?” She threw her weapons again and Mayu took off running to avoid the spikes. She narrowly dodged strikes of the Gentle Fist as well. Hinata clearly was not holding back much. The green-eyed kunoichi grimaced, flipping backwards to avoid a graze from the weapons. She twisted her body midair just barely avoiding both projectiles. At the same time, Hinata shot her palm forward, aiming for Mayu’s abdomen again. It was not a direct hit, but it managed to knock the girl off balance. Mayu hit the ground hard, rolling away from her fellow kunoichi.

Sasuke watched through narrowed eyes. His hands clutched the railing as a frown formed. He could not understand Mayu’s tactics right now. Sure, the girl tended to gauge her opponent’s style as the battle continued. However, in normal circumstances, she would not allow herself to become pummeled. Mayu was not the type to sacrifice her body in order to gain knowledge from an opponent. She was cautious but instinctive as well. An eyebrow twitched upon realizing. She was being cautious, but she was not relying on her instincts. She was holding back, and Hinata clearly took advantage. Was it the mark on her arm? Did it hold her back? The longer Sasuke stared at the one-sided battle, the more irritated he became. Mayu blocked and dodged, of course, but her movements were sloppy. So unlike her usual form. He doubted she could continue. Eventually, she would be knocked down and stay down. It was too unusual.

“Sakura-chan…” Naruto whispered. Sasuke took a glance at his blond teammate, and then turned back to the fight. “What’s up with her?”

Sasuke clicked his tongue. Even Naruto had noticed the difference. “What is _this_?!” His shout caused Mayu to turn, clearly stunned by the volume. Hinata stopped walking towards her opponent. She, too, looked his way. In fact, he could feel all eyes on him. He could not bring himself to care. “Is this truly all you have in you?!” Sasuke glared down at the girl. “This is stupid! I don’t remember my teammate being this weak, _Sakura…_!” Her lips parted, and he could tell she understood the namedrop. “Do you even remember who you were trained by?!”

 _“Sasuke…!”_ Mayu grind her teeth together. She stood, curling her fingers into fists. She understood his disappointment. She was disappointed in herself. However, he insulted her just now, hadn’t he? Maybe not, but it had angered her all the same. The kunoichi lowered her eyes to her opponent, expression hardening. “I remember,” she muttered. “So, let me show you.” Damn the consequences. She would not allow this mark to interfere with a good fight.

Her foot shifted, and then she rushed at Hinata. The Hyuga kunoichi nearly gasped as she impulsively launched her arm forward, palm out. Her strike, quick and precise, shattered the replacement log into pieces. Hinata’s eyes expanded, hearing a familiar sizzle. The shattered wood was covered with notes. Explosive notes. The kunoichi hastily jumped away just in time. The notes exploded only a few seconds later. Unfortunately, the blast was enough to send Hinata hurtling back. She bared her teeth, forcing herself to move in order not to slam against the wall behind her. Her hand slid against the ground, using the friction to halt.

“Fast,” she murmured in surprise. Her light eyes darted all around, attempting to locate the elusive opponent. “To the side…!” Hinata barely had time to recognize the hand seals. Snake—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger…

Mayu formed the seals quickly, and deeply inhaled in preparation. “ **Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu**!” A large ball of fire and chakra spewed from her mouth. It loomed closer and closer to the Hyuga, size large enough to block her view. Hinata quickly straightened her legs, deciding to meet the attack head on. She shut her eyes and concentrated. Her arms stretched, forming a series of complex movements. It began slow, and then gradually picked up speed. Her arms were a blur by the time the flames reached her. Her eyes shot open.

“ **Protective Eight Trigrams** …” she whispered just as the ball of fire consumed her. “ **Sixty-Four Palms**!”

Mayu relaxed her stance and lowered her arms as she watched the flames. Without warning, the ball transformed. The flames grew, stretching to the ceiling and spinning around one point. Eyes wide, Mayu silently compared the fire to a vortex. Honestly, she assumed her friend would dodge the attack. Not many people could stand the heat of such a jutsu. She had worked hard practicing. She had burned herself numerous times as well. Had she succeeded in burning Hinata? Something of an answer came in the form of the distinct drone. Green eyes widened, recognizing the sound. She ducked, and a split second later, the silver weapon sliced through the air where her head had been.

The kunoichi leaped backwards, putting distance between herself and the trajectory of the weapon. It had returned to their master’s awaiting hand. The flames around Hinata had left the floor charred but left the Hyuga unharmed. The attack failed, and it was a bit surprising to see. “An attack I created myself,” Hinata spoke as though she heard the unasked question. “It can act as defense as well. As I said… I will not hold back or run away. Because that is my-my nindo—my ninja way!”

“Whoa…!” Naruto exclaimed. “I had no idea Hinata was so gutsy!”

Mayu furrowed her brow. She had not exactly seen the attack. However, the way Hinata had described it… “Could it be…?” she muttered. The bee episode?! Hinata wasn’t supposed to know that yet. With startling clarity, Mayu realized how much stronger her friend had become. A bead of sweat slid down the side her face. Honestly, she wondered if it were possible to beat the Hyuga like this. She was both proud and dismayed. Proud for obvious reasons. Dismayed because the script had obviously sailed away. _“Could I end it in a draw somehow?”_ she thought. If only to scrape the remains of the plot back into place. Did she still care about that? Mayu bit her lower lip in thought.

So deep in her pondering, the kunoichi became distracted. It was only hearing the whirring from Hinata’s weapon that snapped her out of her. Wincing, Mayu sharply tilted her head to the right. The projectile zoomed pass, spikes just missing her flesh. With a thud, the weapon returned to Hinata’s other hand. She had forgotten about the second. “Hinata-chan! You’re so cool!” Mayu found herself complimenting. “But weapons like that won’t work on me. You missed.” Honestly, she wanted her opponent to put those things away. She would rather fight without worrying about a secondary attack.

Hinata shook her head. “No, Sakura-chan, I did not,” she stated. Last word spoken, a thin red formed on Mayu’s cheek. Her eyes grew wide, abruptly feeling the pain. Her ear split and blood gushed from the laceration. Mayu cried out, grabbing her injured ear and cheek with both hands in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. “You see, I force my chakra into these weapons. When I send them flying, my chakra is released. It travels through tunnels and exits the spikes, thin and sharp enough to cut flesh. Because of my eyes, I can see and control the length.” Hinata frowned. “If I chose it, you would have been decapitated.”

“You’re so badass, Hinata-chan,” Mayu said in awe despite the pain. She tilted her head forward, intrigued. “Where did you get such a weapon?”

“On a-a mission,” Hinata explained, cheeks becoming pink. “Th-There was a blacksmith I inadvertently helped. He offered…” Her cheeks turned red. “You are the one who tol-told me to… become like water. Adapt and overcome. I will never forget these words.”

Despite the circumstance, Mayu felt a proud grin stretch on her face. She could not deny the flush to her cheeks either. To think she would have the opportunity to train with—become a mentor to—the future Hokage’s wife. She stopped herself from squealing in glee. Still, this adapting style of hers was not good on the receiving end. She had to dodge both the spikes and chakra that came through. However, she could not see the chakra to know how large it became. She pinched her face in thought. Then, it came to her. She could not see the chakra now, but perhaps it was now time to follow her own advice. And adapt.

Quickly, Mayu raced through hand seals and concentrated on her chakra flow. Finished, her hands remained on the seal for ram. “ **Ishikari Style: Mind Transfer Jutsu**!” The exclamation caused several pairs of eyes to widen. Including the Hokage’s. The two kunoichi immediately went limp, heads swaying and arms lowering. They stood in place completely silent.

Yamanaka Ino stared down at the two, hands gripping the metal bar in front of her. She repeated the exclamation of jutsu in her head in utter bafflement. Her father, Yamanaka Inoichi, once told her about another type of the Mind Transfer techniques. According to her father, the type was considered vastly different from their family’s techniques. While their techniques were used for espionage, the other style had been used for attacks. As a primary. However, those techniques had been lost—used by no one anymore. Yet her friend just used a mind technique. The question of _how_ wanted to jump from her tongue.

Down below, Hinata’s head twitched. She lifted her chin, lavender eyes blinking rapidly. Then an uncharacteristic grin formed on her face. Opposite of her, the kunoichi sharply looked around, appearing quite confused by her surroundings. “Sakura-chan…?!” Alarmed, the kunoichi stumbled back. “H-How did you…?” Her opponent continued grinning. She flicked the fringe above her brow.

“Hell yeah!” she exclaimed, voice louder than normal. “It worked!”

“But-But how did you-?” The question ended before it truly began. She screamed. The sound, long and shrill, bounced off the walls. Onlookers watched confused as the kunoichi clawed at her own arm. “Wh-What is this?!”

“Hinata-chan…!” The Hyuga stepped forward. “You need to _breathe_!” The only response she received was another blood-curdling scream. Mayu took another step, dropping the weapons from her hands. She felt paralyzed, watching her friend suffer. Why was she suffering, though? The mark had not been affecting her, and yet Hinata… The marked turned a fiery red and spread across the exposed arm. Hinata had clawed the bandages off. “Damn it!” She slapped her palms together and squeezed her eyes shut. “Release!” As one, the kunoichi went limp again.

Mayu winced and covered her arm. Squeezing one eye shut, she looked down at the damage. The nails had gotten her skin as well, leaving her bleeding. The mark had shifted to black again, but it had spread to her shoulder. “Th-That-That was…” Hinata panted out, causing Mayu to look at her. “That was terrible, Sakura-chan! What is th-that?!”

“Not sure,” she muttered, voice hoarse from the screaming. She glanced at her arm again. Weird. She could not feel any excruciating pain that Hinata felt. Because she had gotten used to it already? This whole situation was weird. “Sorry… I did not intend for you to go through something like that.”

The Hyuga kunoichi finally composed herself and picked up her discarded silver weapons. “I’m not sure what the point of your… jutsu was, but…” Hinata slowly took her stance. “Sh-Shall we continue?”

“Of course,” Mayu answered. “But let me see if it worked.” Hinata furrowed her brow. Mayu simply shut her eyes. She felt her chakra flare and twist within before seemingly washing over her. It felt… familiar. Not like with Haku. She could not fully comprehend the feeling she had on the bridge. Could not remember it, really. But she could not deny this fluctuating of chakra felt like an embrace from a relative. Unaware of it, her pink roots slowly darkened. The feeling faded and Mayu finally opened her eyes. Her opponent gasped. Hinata was not the only one stunned by the scene in front of them. They all stared in bewilderment. To them, it seemed as though…

Haruno Sakura had the Byakugan.

“What…? Bu-But that’s impossible!” Hinata exclaimed, voice frantic. She shook her head a few times, and then looked back at her opponent. Mayu still appeared as though she belonged to the Hyuga clan. She smirked in triumph. “I-I don’t… I don’t understand!”

“I don’t either, but let’s make the most of it, ne?” Mayu said. “How do I turn these things on?” Hinata remained too stunned to speak. “Is it as simple as… pushing the flow of chakra into my-” Veins bulged around her eyes. “Whoa! This is what Hyuga see? Amazing!” The kunoichi cracked her knuckles, sinking into an imitation of the Hyuga stance. However, she kept her fists clenched. “I may not know the Hyuga way, but I’ve fought you enough times to get the basics. Bring it on, Hinata-chan.” Her opponent did not move. “Fine! I’ll come to you!”

Mayu shot forward, dashing to Hinata. The Hyuga blinked, snapping out of her daze. She immediately threw her metallic weapons. The two projectiles flew at Mayu, faster than before. But this time, she could see the razor thin chakra. It spun at such an intense speed that the chakra took the form of a disk. A deadly disk if it could reach her. Mayu jumped, pushing chakra to her feet for a boost. Her body sailed pass the weapons, successfully dodging the blades and chakra. Her hands touched the floor, and she flipped onto her feet again. Hinata did not give time to balance.

She attacked Mayu, relentlessly using her Gentle Fist. However, Mayu countered each move. Blocked each strike. Evaded each attempt. The kunoichi went back and forth—attacking, dodging, blocking. Chakra burst from palms and fists. Their speed matched. Their attacks clashed yet matched all the same. They were too evenly matched, drawing the battle to impasse yet again. Only this time, it seemed unbreakable. They violently danced against each other—around each other—all the while avoiding the weapons. Mayu pushed herself to keep the pace, but she could feel herself tiring rather quickly.

Hinata dropped down and swung her foot around, causing Mayu to stagger back to avoid the sweep. Her opponent took the chance and drove her palm upward, knocking against Mayu’s chin. The kunoichi’s head sprang back. She could not stop the follow up palm thrust to her shoulder. She whirled around but used the momentum to sharply backhand Hinata with a closed fist. The two kunoichi slid a part. The two stared at one another, panting and bleeding.

 _“Well, I’m shot,”_ Mayu thought. She blinked several times to keep the blurriness at bay. It was a losing battle. Once again, she felt chakra wash over her. Her dark roots shifted to pink again. The Byakugan disappeared and green eyes took its place. _“It doesn’t look like Hinata can go on much longer either. The next move is probably the last…”_ She had used a lot of chakra already. Surely, her body would begin syphoning the dark chakra automatically when that happened. She could feel it—like a corruption—up to her neck. _“Before it spreads to this face, I have to end it.”_ Even as she thought it, the mark spread again. It almost felt like it was in her throat now. “Damn it!” The kunoichi dropped to one knee, a groan leaving her mouth. Not exactly painful, but she could feel the pressure. Like it was trying to coax her into giving in. _“One more attack… one more attack…”_ Mayu chanted in thought. _“I can do this!”_

“Get it together already!” Sasuke shouted at her.

“Sakura-chan, keep going!” Naruto cheered.

Spurred by her teammates’ words, Mayu clamped her teeth down on her lip. She tasted blood in her mouth, but she did not care. Until further notice, this was her body. She was in control. No outside influence could take over. However unwittingly, she had possessed this body first. Mayu cried out, lifting herself to stand. “Who needs this shitty power anyway?!” The cursed mark glowed with the colors of fire before slowly retracting. The flames moved across her skin, down her arm, back into the tomoe. Black and neutral as she willed it. The kunoichi slapped her palms together. “This is the finale!”

“Y-You sound so certain,” Hinata replied, watching as her opponent quickly formed hand seals. “This isn’t over yet!” She rushed forward, palm at the ready. Her lightning quick strike slammed into Mayu’s body. However, the body merely disappeared with pop. “Oh no…!”

“Oh yes!” Mayu said, directly behind the Hyuga. “Transform!” Enveloped in smoke, her entire form disappeared. Hinata turned to meet the final attack. However, tanned arms shot out of the shroud of smoke and wrapped around her. The arms trapped the kunoichi, keeping her immobile. “ _Haah_ … My future wife is so fierce.” A deeper voice spoke, causing the Hyuga to flinch. As the smoke faded, Hinata slowly tilted her head back. She stared into the eyes of Uzumaki Naruto. An older, muscular, and very naked Uzumaki Naruto. Only a convenient persisting fluff of cloud and the kunoichi’s own body obscured the inappropriate for the public parts. Hinata whimpered, paralyzed in the embrace. Her entire face, ears, and neck turned cherry red. “Adorable,” he remarked, leaning down and showing a grin, made foxy by the whispers on his cheeks. “Should I kiss you now?”

“N-No… No-No fair…!” Hinata squeaked, and then abruptly sagged, no longer able to remain conscious. A drizzle of blood slid down her nostrils. Her metallic weapons dropped to the floor, and the dual clangs echoed throughout the room. For a moment, no one reacted. Then the older Naruto chuckled lightly, lowering Hinata to the ground. As he stood up, smoke enveloped him. It cleared quicker than before.

“ **Sexy Jutsu** … successful!” Mayu announced, holding up two fingers in a victory sign. “How’d you like that?”

“Sakura-chan! What the hell?!” Naruto shouted. She turned to find her teammate pointing at her. Sasuke appeared embarrassed due to his palm against his forehead protector. Mayu could not help but giggle. “What you go and use _me_ for?!”

“I’ll tell you when you’re older!” Mayu replied. “Had I fought Neji, I would have used Sasuke instead!” Said Hyuga stared daggers down at the kunoichi but she only turned to face the proctor. “Did I win?” she asked.

Hayate coughed. He looked at both girls. Mayu, although still grinning, panted a great deal. She looked down at Hinata’s fallen body. The jutsu knocked her out completely. It was definitely a win. “I’m declaring this match over…” Hayate stated. “Haruno Sakura, as winner of the first preliminary, will advance to the next stage of the Chuunin Exam.”

 _“I did it…”_ Mayu thought, gasping for air. She fell to her knees, exhaustion pressing down like never before. _“I did it…”_ Her eyes squeezed shut. _“I… I changed the plot again, didn’t I?!”_ Stifling a groan, she fell back, sprawled against the floor. She had gotten too excited and determined in the match, truly not thinking of any outcome beside besting Hinata. _“Oh well… Might as well ride the rest of the train.”_

“Not bad, Sakura.” The familiar voice of her sensei made her force her eyes open. Kakashi stared down at her, visible eye showing pride. It was touching to realize. “I thought I would have to stop it, but you proved yourself spectacularly.”

“Still underestimating me, huh, sensei?” Mayu managed to chuckle, though her entire body ached. “When will you learn?”

“Sakura-chan!” Naruto’s voice caught her attention. He, as well as Sasuke, ran over. The shinobi stopped and stared down at her as well. Mayu forced herself to sit upright. “You were so cool!” he gushed, and then turned to look at the unconscious kunoichi. “And so was Hinata! She put up a _fight_!”

“It sounded—and looked—like you were aware of her abilities,” Sasuke pointed out. “You little sneak.” His eyes narrowed. “When were you going to tell us you’ve been off training with a Hyuga?”

“A girl can’t have all her secrets revealed, you know,” Mayu simpered. Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Still… If it weren’t for you two, I might not have kept going.” She smiled. “Thanks for cheering for me.” She suddenly winced and grabbed at her chest. “The Gentle Fist is no joke, though. I don’t want to go that hard against her again.”

“Haruno Sakura, please come with us so that we may treat your injuries,” a medic ninja walked over. His coworkers had already placed Hinata on a stretcher. “You will be able to rest as well.”

“That is not necessary. I will take care of her,” Kakashi stated.

“But sensei…!” Naruto began in a whine.

The jounin ignored his subordinate and dropped down to Mayu’s level. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’re coming with me right now,” he said. Mayu opened her mouth to protest. “I know you want to see Naruto and Sasuke’s matches, but we need to seal that mark.” The kunoichi pouted but nodded her head in agreement. Sasuke frowned a bit as he stepped forward. He held out a hand. Mayu blinked, almost surprised. Still, she took the offered hand. Her teammate pulled her from the floor. Mayu found herself staring into his dark eyes. The Uchiha said nothing and released her hand. “Let’s go,” Kakashi instructed.

“ _Uh_ …” She looked back at her sensei before glancing at her teammates. “Yes.” Mayu cleared her throat, turning to face Kakashi. “Can you carry me, sensei?”

“No.”

“Rude…!”

0-0

Mayu walked behind her sensei. They walked through a dark passageway in silence. Kakashi had not bothered to explain anything just yet. Pressing her lips together, Mayu opened her hand. She stared down at the object. Her teammate had slipped it to her. A single soldier pill. She probably shouldn’t, but she grinned in a gleeful manner. Clearly, Sasuke had intended for her to come back. She supposed it was only fair. Mayu shook her head, and then popped the pill in her mouth. She maneuvered the bead underneath her tongue, deciding to take it later. Once the sealing was done. Before, it had knocked Sasuke out completely. After the battle between herself and Hinata, she probably did need the extra boost to stay conscious.

The jounin suddenly stopped and turned to his student. Mayu immediately straightened. “We’ll do it here. Lay down on the floor.” Mayu nodded her head, and then did as told. The floor, cold and hard, caused the kunoichi to shiver. She hoped this would not last too long. Green eyes watched Kakashi take out multiple kunai. With the kunai, he made several markings around his student’s body. Next, he forced the tips of the kunai into the floor around.

Kakashi removed a glove from his hand. He then bit into his thumb before pressing pressed his index and middle finger against the bleeding appendage. He moved all around the girl and kunai, marking the floor with his blood. Curious, Mayu attempted to examine the markings. However, Kakashi sharply told her not to move. Huffing lightly, the kunoichi straightened her head and looked towards the ceiling. Eventually, Mayu felt his warm fingers press and slide up and down the cursed arm, marking her as well.

“Alright… It’ll be over quickly,” Kakashi told her, apparently done with preparations. He knelt next to the girl, careful not to touch the markings on the floor. “You ready…?” Mayu nodded, watching her sensei closely. “Don’t worry, Sakura. It will be fine. Look at the ceiling.” Trusting him, she returned her gaze to the ceiling. The jounin brought his hands together, forming the appropriate seals. This continued for several moments before the jounin finally stopped on the rat seal. “ **Curse Sealing**!” He placed his palm on the curse mark.

Mayu tried her best to stifle her screams. She bit her lower lip, unintentionally drawing blood. It slid down her chin as Kakashi’s blood markings moved from the floor, dancing up her arm. As Kakashi predicted, the jutsu did not last long. The pain subsided, leaving a dull ache behind. Cracking her eyes open, Mayu slowly sat up. She stared down at the circle around Orochimaru’s mark. A barrier to contain the mark’s power. She sighed out, relieved.

“That should do it.” Kakashi’s voice made the girl look up at him. “The next time that curse mark starts acting up, the seal _should_ keep it in check. But remember, this seal is only as strong as your will. If there is ever a time where you begin to doubt yourself, Sakura, the curse will be unleashed and by then you won’t be able to stop it.” Mayu moved her tongue around, trying to find the soldier pill. She felt that now was a good time to take it. After taking it, she instantly felt a little better.

“I… got it…” Mayu murmured, and then fell backwards. If she remembered correctly, the next part happened to have Orochimaru in it. Feigning unconsciousness seemed to be the best option. She heard Kakashi chuckled.

“And here I was thinking she was going to get angry with me for questioning her iron will,” he remarked to himself. Mayu refrained from nodding her head in agreement. She forced herself to relax. Good thing, too. She heard footsteps approaching not a second later.

“My… You have grown since the last time we encountered one another.” A familiar voice made her inwardly shiver. Mayu, once again, had to stop herself from taking any actions. “To think you’ve become strong enough to perform the _Curse Sealing Jutsu_ …”

“You…” Kakashi greeted, voice menacing.

“Long time, no see… Hatake Kakashi.”

“Orochimaru…!”

“No offense Kakashi, but I did not come to see you.” Orochimaru took another step forward. Kakashi quickly moved, blocking the Sanin’s view of his student. Orochimaru only chuckled. “My business is with that girl behind you.”

“What do you want with Sakura?” Kakashi almost growled out.

“Sakura…? So that is her name? I was quite entertained by her fight. It’s not every day you see someone copy an advanced bloodline. That girl has an amazing ability.”

“Is that why… Is that why you gave her the-”

“Oh, no, no, no… She simply got in the way of giving that present to Sasuke-kun, that’s all. It was very… _selfish_ of her,” Orochimaru said. Mayu would have rolled her eyes if she could. “I must admit I was quite angry to have my well thought out plans blow up in my face… quite literally, but after what I just witnessed… It appears that I have an ace in the hole. Sasuke-kun is my first choice, but now… he’s not my only.” Orochimaru took a few steps forward. This caused Kakashi to crouch into an offensive position.

“Stop…! Come any closer and I’ll destroy you!” Chakra gathered in the palm of Kakashi’s hand. “I don’t care if you are one of the Sanin… Take one step closer to Sakura and one of us will die here!” Orochimaru chuckled again. His chuckles turned into blown out laughter as if he found it extremely amusing. “Oh, you think I’m kidding?”

The snake Sanin stopped laughing. “Poor Kakashi…” he cooed, clearly still amused. “Do you really think that that seal will stop the girl from coming to me on her own? I saw it in the forest. I saw it in her fight. She desires strength. She desires power. She desires to rise above her peers. Much like Sasuke-kun, she has ambition—a goal. And to reach that goal, she _needs_ power. She shows similar characteristics to Sasuke-kun, which means only one thing… She, too, is an avenger and will stop at nothing to kill whoever it is she’s after. I wonder who it could be.”

“No, it can’t be! Not Sakura!”

“You can’t stop it. At some point, they will come to me.” Orochimaru turned. “Unless of course… you really kill me. If that happens, that won’t have a power source to go to.” He walked away. “But you know you cannot kill me, don’t you?” He disappeared, laughing sadistically.

The chakra that had gathered in Kakashi’s palm dispersed. After she could no longer feel the killer intent, Mayu sat up. She curled her fingers into fists. Perhaps she had made a massive mistake by using that technique in her fight with Hinata. She probably should have concealed such a technique. After all, Haruno Sakura had not displayed such abilities before. Was copying an advanced bloodline so unheard of in this world? Mayu bit her lower lip. She probably should have known that. That caused a grimace. She lifted a finger to scratch her cheek. Just how much spotlight had she carelessly given Sakura?

“Sakura…!” The voice of her sensei startled her out of her thoughts. The kunoichi turned to the man, sheepish grin forming. “You were up this whole time?”

“Sure was…!” Mayu confirmed. “How dare he claim to know me so easily? I’d rather kill myself than go to a man that put my teammates in such danger!” Her expression hardened as she thought back to their time in the forest. “If I meet him again, I’ll turn him to ashes!”

“Sakura…” Kakashi murmured. The girl stood up, and then shoved a hand into her pouch. She pulled out a roll of bandages. She began wrapping up her cursed arm. “Y-You are…”

“It’s true that I want… to grow powerful,” Mayu confessed. “I want to be equal with Naruto and Sasuke. I do want to kill someone. I said it before, didn’t I?” Kakashi did not reply, though surely he remembered her introduction. “However, I won’t be the type of person who gains by any means. I’ll gain power by my own merit. I won’t rely on a traitor to achieve my goal. Sensei… You should know me well enough by now. Have no doubt about that.”

“I…” He appeared a bit stun before finally smiling underneath his mask. “There was no doubt in my mind.” Mayu gave a curt nod. “Shall we go watch the rest of the matches? Since you seem to be doing fine.”

“Actually, I want to check on Hinata-chan first.”

“Ah. What should I tell Naruto and Sasuke? They’re both so eager for you to see their matches.”

“Tell them… a black cat crossed my path.”

Mayu laughed in glee when her sense glared.

0-0


	17. Fight Like This

A nervous smile tugged at her lips. The effects of having pearls staring—glaring at her were beginning to happen. The two girls had been staring at each other since they made eye contact. "So..." Mayu began. "I'm guessing you'd like to know how I copied your bloodline, right?" An affirmative nod from the Hyuga heir was enough to make Mayu sweat. Explaining something that she did not fully understand herself was not going to be easy. It caused her stomach to flop around. And there was the bonus of having sweet little Hinata staring suspiciously. There was only so much that Mayu could take in a moment.

The girl cleared her throat. “Sakura-chan.” The way Hinata had said that name made Mayu cringe. “I am slightly familiar with the Yamanaka clan’s jutsu. What you did, although similar, was _not_ one of their jutsu. In fact, I believe that you said—what was it? _Ishikari_ style…? Yes, I believe that’s what you said. That name is foreign to me, but it sounds like a surname. Where did you learn that type of jutsu? I’ve never heard of a jutsu that could actually copy a _bloodline_.” Mayu chuckled uneasily as she rubbed the back of her head.

“Wow, Hinata-chan, I’m bowled over by your intellect.” She remarked as she placed her hand back in her lap. She had sat down on a stool near Hinata’s bed. Five minutes had gone by since Mayu entered the room. And only three minutes since Hinata had awakened from her Naruto-generated dreams. For two minutes, Mayu wondered why Hinata was bleeding from her nose again. “So anyway… you’re not going to wipe your nose?”

“Sakura-chan, please do not change the subject.” Despite saying this, Hinata’s face turned red. She leaned to the side and reached for the box of tissues. After quickly wiping at her nose, the Hyuga began speaking again. “How did you come to know of such a technique?”

Mayu sighed heavily. “The hell if I know…” Hinata furrowed her brow. “But I’ll try to explain. But just to let you know, this is what Sasuke told me what went down.” She then began to relay what had happened on the mission in the Land of Waves. There were times Hinata clearly did not understand. Mayu could admit that she was not well-versed in storytelling, but her friend comprehended the basics. “… Then Sasuke asked _what_ I was, and I did not appreciate that at all!”

“You… instinctively used that jutsu in battle?” Hinata narrowed her eyes in slight confusion. “It might be coincidental, but that sounds like an advanced bloodline triggering for the first time.”

“ _Eh_ …?!”

“From what I know, that is.” Hinata continued. “When a person has the potential to use an advanced bloodline, it doesn’t activate unless that person is under copious amounts of emotional stress. For you, it was the thought of losing your teammate to death. For me… it was to be stronger so that I could impress those around me. That is a stressful situation.” Mayu blinked, and then looked towards the ceiling.

“ _Ah_ … That makes sense. Sasuke also activated his Sharingan on the bridge,” she murmured.

“I don’t believe a Haruno has ever shown an advanced bloodline before, though, so I could be mistaken.”

Mayu rubbed her bandaged arm. “Yeah…” she murmured. Her green eyes trained on the marble floor. Ishikari style… How strange that the jutsu had her surname. Maybe the mind technique explained this strange circumstance in the first place. Hinata suddenly placed her hand on Mayu’s arm, causing her to look up. “It’s not an advanced bloodline. I’m not that special.” She put on a smile. “Ninja awaken new abilities all the time. In the heat of the moment, perhaps my inner power rose to the surface.” Before Hinata could attempt speaking, Mayu abruptly stood up. “Anyway, you sound better. Let’s head back so we can see our teammates’ battles, ne? Come—your future husband awaits!” She turned and headed for the door.

“Wa-Wait a moment, Sakura-chan! Don’t tea-tease me!”

0-0 

“Sakura-chan! Hinata!” A certain loudmouth waved over the two girls. They barely made it to the top before their teammates crowded around them. Not used to the attention of her peers, Hinata shrunk away. “I’m so glad you two are back! My match hasn’t started yet, so you’re lucky!”

“And what’s so lucky about you getting your ass kicked?” Kiba remarked.

“Ki-Kiba-kun…!” Hinata exclaimed in a scolding voice.

“Hinata, I do not remember you possessing a weapon such as that,” Shino spoke, causing Mayu to flinch. She had not known he was so close. “I also did not know that you had that type of strength. Those things… they were heavy.”

“M-My weapons…?! Where are they?”

“Kurenai-sensei has them. She said that she could barely pick them up. Do you usually carry those things around?” Kiba frowned while Akamaru barked. “How long have you been hiding those things from us?”

Not interested in the conversation, both Naruto and Sasuke grabbed Mayu’s wrists and pulled her further down the balcony. “I can walk myself, you know!” she complained. However, her teammates only continued dragging her until they stood with their sensei. None too gently, they pushed her against the wall. The rest of the team surrounded her so there would be no escape. Huffing lightly, Mayu crossed her arms. “What do you want?”

“Is your ear okay?” Kakashi asked, ignoring the question to ask his own.

“Huh…? Oh yeah, they patched it up for me,” Mayu answered, lightly reaching up to touch the healed ear. She grinned. “Hinata-chan was _savage_ , wasn’t she? She’s a queen!”

“So… you’re okay,” Naruto stated the obvious, causing Mayu to lose her grin. “Since you are, then you can tell us about the mark on your arm now.” The kunoichi pressed her lips together. “I feel like you and Sasuke—and now sensei—are keeping me out of the loop! Why?!”

“The other matches… Can’t we just wait?”

“No! Sasuke told me that you’d explain everything when you got back!”

Mayu, in turn, glared at the Uchiha. Sasuke looked away as if he didn’t see the fierce look being directed at him. The kunoichi turned her attention back to the blond of her team. “Okay, Naruto, I’ll tell you. It’s unfair that you are the only one on the team that doesn’t know,” she conceded. She took a deep breath, and then began explaining what had happened in the forest. This time, she did not leave out anything. Herself not being the intended target of the mark. Her awakening in the forest. The malevolent chakra that flooded her system. The way she had toyed with enemy ninja. The reason a Sound genin lost his arm. Loss of control. All because of the mark. When she finished, she tilted her chin towards the ground. Her actions had been shameful, and she wondered if Naruto thought any less of her.

Naruto stared incredulously at his teammate. He could not believe some of the things she had told him. “Sakura-chan…” Mayu nearly flinched at his subdued voice. “You don’t have to feel bad about what happened.” Surprised, she looked up at him. “I would have done the same thing if given a chance. Sasuke, too, I’m sure. And it’s obvious to me that the mark messed with your mind, or something. Sakura-chan would never do that stuff on purpose—not to anybody! That’s not the type of person you are. You would never take away somebody’s ability to fight.”

“Naruto…” Mayu smiled. “You know me so well.” She reached out to hug him tightly. “If you were someone else, I would kiss you!” The blond flushed with slight embarrassment. Sasuke flushed in a completely different emotion. He didn’t know why his teammate was so quick to make a complete fool of herself in front of strangers by hugging, kissing, or pushing her own teammates out of the way. Sasuke scowled. He was still a little pissed about getting shoved away when he was trying to introduce himself to that Sand kid. “So now that that’s resolved, who’s fighting right now?”

“I declare the fourth match of the preliminaries over.” Hayate’s voice resounded all throughout the room. The genin of Team 7 stood erect, and then moved over to the railing.

“Fourth…?! I can’t believe I missed two whole fights!” Mayu looked down at the area. She saw Ino and that Sound ninja, Dosu. Ino’s body was on the ground, limp. Dosu stood, arm raised in defeat. Ino’s bleach blond hair was on the floor. It made a path from her body to Dosu’s. She understood what happened without seeing it. “Ino-chan won!”

“Due to the forfeit of Kinuta Dosu, the winner of this match is Yamanaka Ino!” Hayate announced, raising his arm in Ino’s favor. But it was Dosu who cheered and held up a victory sign. Mayu stared flatly, realizing this was another change. She sighed lightly. There would be no scraping for the canon bits anymore.

“Release…!” Dosu’s muffled voic said. A few seconds later, Ino stood up with a grin on her face. Dosu, after looking a bit confused, focused a glare on Ino. But it was all in vain. The match was over. The blond kunoichi had won.

“Nice one, Ino-chan…!” Mayu shouted down to her comrade. Ino turned her way, wearing an excited grin. Then she frowned and narrowed her eyes. Mayu awkwardly waved at her, unsure of the sudden shift in Ino’s expression. The kunoichi grit her teeth before dashing towards the stairs. Dosu begrudgingly walked to the opposite balcony. Upon reaching Team 7, Ino greeted Mayu with a tight headlock. “ _Aaahh_! What the hell, Ino?!”

“What do you mean ‘What the hell, Ino?!’ Who do you think you’re _talking_ to, forehead?!” Ino tightened her hold around Mayu’s neck. She gurgled in protest and swatted at the arm that held her. “When did you learn a Mind Transfer technique?!” The only answer the girl received was choked out nonsense. Ino sighed, and then released Mayu. She fell to the floor gasping for as much air as possible. “Well…?”

“Sas-Sasuke’s the one who showed me those hand seals! Strangle the life outta him, not me!” Mayu pointed a finger at her teammate. Ino looked towards the dark-haired genin. Sasuke stared back, unbothered. Ino shrugged. “What? Seriously?!”

“I would never do that to Sasuke-kun!” Ino announced. She crossed her arms and looked away. Mayu glowered. “He kissed me, so I owe him one.”

Mayu huffed lightly. Her eyes glanced at the cut ponytail. “Ino-chan… you cut your hair…?” It was obvious, but she felt the need to change the subject. She doubted Ino would be as understanding as Hinata. Thoroughly distracted, Ino made scoffed smugly. She then smirked. The kunoichi pulled the band from her hair, allowing her tresses to fall around her head. The ends fell just before the base of her neck.

“I’m a proper kunoichi now,” she stated. “I don’t need something as trivial as long hair!” Mayu smiled while Ino laughed in a haughty manner. Then she abruptly stopped and looked Sasuke’s way again. The Uchiha flinched. With no further warning, she grabbed his hand. “Sorry, Sasuke-kun. I know that you liked me with long hair, but alas… I no longer have that. Don’t worry, I’ll grow it out again, and when I do, you can take me on a date.”

“Oh, Ino-chan, Neji is actually the first in line for a date,” Mayu spoke up.

“Shut up, Ma-Sakura,” Sasuke said.

“Oh…? Guess I’ll go second then,” Ino said, uncaringly. She dropped the shinobi’s hand. “Feel free to look my way in the meantime!” She cheerily walked away to head over to her team. “I’m looking forward to it!” She winked.

“Wow, Ino-chan has _really_ matured!” Mayu commented. “I wonder if I should fully support _SasuIno_ …”

“You should _not_ ,” Sasuke said, rolling his eyes. “ _I_ should not have kissed her…”

“Yeah, you shouldn’t have!” Mayu giggled. “I think I’m gonna plan your wedding!”

“No. You. Are. Not.”

“You’re no fun, bird boy!”

The computer began randomizing names. The noise of it attracted attention. The genin of Team 7 sharply turned their heads, obviously interested in the next matchup. Mayu more so than her teammates. She bit her lower lip. Honestly, she was quite nervous for any more changes. Maybe the following matches would line up with the story now. After all, Sakura, Ino, and Hinata had already had their results. Well, that left Neji, didn’t it? She wondered who he would be paired up with if not his cousin. The computer beep, signaling the next match. Swallowing, she lifted her gaze to the names.

**Tenten**

**VS.**

**Temari**

Mayu released a long exhale. She remembered the fight. Kunoichi versus kunoichi. Leaf versus Sand. This particular matchup was in the story. “For the fifth match,” Hayate began as the two kunoichi in question made their way down to the ground floor. He waited until both stood before him, standing opposite of one another. “Tenten and Temari…” He coughed a few times. “Get ready.” The two stepped closer together, preparing to face off. Tenten smirked. Temari merely raised a brow.

“Another ninja from the Sand village…” Hyuga Neji looked down at the sandy blond-haired girl as Lee cheered Tenten on even though the match hadn’t started yet. The girl seemed to be the same age as himself and his teammates. And that look on her face told him that she wasn’t just another immature genin. “This should prove to be an interesting match.”

Mayu, overhearing the Hyuga’s words, frowned lightly. _“Not as interesting as you think,”_ she thought. _“Temari’s probably the worst Tenten could have as an opponent.”_ For a while, nothing happened. It was just a whole lot of staring. “HEY! CAN WE GET THIS MATCH GOING ALREADY?!” Her loud voice broke the silence. Because of her sudden outburst, most of the genin flinched, not expecting that. Uchiha Sasuke had not flinched. Instead, he brought his hand down on his teammate’s head in a slicing motion. He already knew how to handle this current situation.

Her squeal of pain was ignored in favor of watching the beginnings of the match. “Start…!” Hayate exclaimed. Neither kunoichi moved from their position. They, instead, decided to size each other up. Clearly, they wondered what type of attacks the other would utilize. Temari suddenly smirked. Tenten jumped a few meters away to put more distance between them.

“Alright, Tenten…! Keep her guessing!” Lee cheered for his teammate. Maito Gai, obviously enthused, joined the cheering. Naruto clamped both hands on his ears, glowering at the Green Beasts of the Leaf. His other teammates chose to ignore their shouts of glee and excitement.

 _“I wonder what would happen if Temari and Ino fought instead…”_ Mayu took a glance at the laziest ninja in the room. She grinned when she saw him yawning, seemingly not caring about the fight. A snicker escaped her mouth as she continued to ponder over which girl Shikamaru would cheer for. But considering his laziness, he would not cheer at all. Sasuke decided not to question his teammate’s sudden fit of giggles.

“What are you waiting for?” Hayate looked at both girls as he spoke. “I did say start.”

“ _Ha_ …! I’m guessing she’s waiting on me to make the first move,” Temari remarked, sounding haughty. “That’s a big mistake. The first move I make will be the last one you see.” The Sand kunoichi took a step forward, causing Tenten to take a step back. Temari took another step. “Come on… I don’t want our match to be over too quickly, so why don’t you go first?” She arrogantly thumbed her chest. “Show me what you got, girl.”

“Okay… but you asked for it!” Tenten jumped up and threw four shuriken at the Sand kunoichi. Temari looked up at the sharp weapons yet didn’t move. Her body blurred for a split second. The shuriken embedded into the floor beside Temari. Tenten landed on the floor. “I missed…?!” Her incredulous tone gave away her surprise and bewilderment. “There’s just no way!”

“What was that? A warmup…?” Temari asked, hands on her hips. “Or maybe you’re a little nervous and it has affected your aim. Is that it…?” Tenten almost growled. “Darn… I thought I’d at least work up a sweat, but if that’s all you have to offer, then forget that idea.”

“What is going on down there? How could Tenten have missed?!” Lee clutched the railing.

“Man, this is embarrassing…” Shikamaru stared down at the arena floor. Though, his words did not sound very embarrassed. “Another win for the Sand village.” Naruto looked over to him, confused.

“What are you talking about? The match just started!” the blond protested. The lazy ninja gave an annoyed sigh before telling Naruto that it was obvious. “Gimmie a break! What makes you so smart?! Why don’t you explain it to me so I can understand?” Shikamaru gave another sigh and muttered ‘troublesome’ under his breath as he looked back down at the fight. “Hey…! I said-”

Two hands clamped down on his shoulder. Naruto groaned, and then turned to his two teammates. “I know you’re an idiot, Naruto, so explaining would be futile.” Sasuke turned his focus back on the match. “So why don’t you just wait and find out?” The blond grumbled, and then shook the Uchiha’s hand from his shoulder.

“Yeah, the best thing, for someone like you to do, is watch and learn,” Mayu agreed, slipping her hand from his other shoulder. Naruto grumbled a bit more before focusing on the match below. Did everyone get it but him? Still, he followed his teammates’ advice and paid close attention. The kunoichi fought against each other, but it seemed so one-sided that Naruto found himself grimacing. Soon, the fight ended rather brutally. Tenten fell from an elevated height. Her back slammed into Temari’s upright closed fan. The crack of her spine hitting metal made Naruto wince in sympathy. Tenten’s back bent in a way it probably should not have.

“Wasn’t much of a match,” Temari muttered, looking coolly at Tenten’s form. “Kinda boring, really.”

“Well, Naruto… What do you think? Do you realize why the match was decided when Tenten made a move?” Mayu asked her teammate. Naruto slowly nodded his head.

“Her power over the wind made it so that Tenten’s weapons couldn’t reach her, right?” Mayu and Sasuke nodded.

“It also looks like… those wind techniques could act as her attack as well as her defense,” Sasuke added to the analysis. He crossed his arms. “She’s potentially an invincible opponent.” Naruto and Mayu both nodded in agreement.

Kakashi watched this interaction in mild surprise. It was somewhat shocking to see his students talking about other’s fighting style. They were actually coming up with ways to bypass the strengths of Temari’s techniques. Kakashi also heard about possible weak points, but they did not sound sure of the assessment. Though Tenten had lost the match, they discussed her abilities as well. Were the three going to do this for each match that they saw? Kakashi’s visible eye curved upward. _Cute,_ he thought.

“Weight training…? Is that really needed?” Naruto groaned.

“Well, only if you don’t want to be hit with sharp pointy objects!” Mayu retorted. “But we can do that type of training later. I don’t think we have to worry about fighting our own comrade after this.”

“What I really think we should do is work on ninjutsu and taijutsu once this is over,” Sasuke suggested. “Naruto, out of all of us, your taijutsu needs the most improvement. And even though you’ve got your shadow clones, that jutsu will only get you so far. You, too… Sakura. You may have mastered the Grand Fireball Jutsu, but it doesn’t hurt to learn something else. And working on taijutsu would increase my stamina, so it works for all of us.” Naruto and Mayu nodded. “Also, we should try to learn some of each other’s techniques. I saw how well you did with your fight with Hinata when you used something from both of us.” The blond grinned widely as he nodded.

“Yeah, once the Chuunin Exam is over, we should follow Sasuke’s plan. Along the way, we might have to add something to it, though.” Mayu grinned. “I can hardly wait.”

“Yeah, I-” The computer began to randomize names again, interrupting what Naruto might have said. “Yes! Let it be me! Let it be me!” The blond, instead, chanted. Sasuke sighed wearily and muttered something unintelligible breath. Mayu only giggled.

“Whatever ever happened to saving the best for last?” she asked.

“…” Naruto had to think about it for a moment. “Don’t let it be me! Don’t let it be me!” He changed his chant up a bit. Sasuke only shook his head. The computer buzzed, signifying the next match of the preliminaries.

**Nara Shikamaru**

**VS.**

**Tsuchi Kin**

Naruto looked happy with the results, but his teammates could tell that he was slightly disappointed as well. It was probably from the way he crossed his arms. Chouji and Ino began cheering as Shikamaru finally made his way down to the arena floor. _“Shika’s got this one in the bag! This was my third favorite match during the preliminaries.”_ Mayu smirked. _“That Kin girl doesn’t stand a chance against a genius like him. There’s not even a point to watching this one since it ends so quickly.”_ Mayu looked over to Kakashi, who was currently looking down at Shikamaru. “Kakashi-sensei…!” The copy ninja turned to his student. “I need to go to the bathroom!” she whispered. But since the girl couldn’t whisper all that well, nearly everyone around heard her. Sasuke almost rolled his eyes.

0-0

“So, what’d I miss?” Mayu stepped towards her team.

“Shikamaru totally beat her,” Naruto answered as he turned in her direction. “I’m actually surprised that that lazy bum won!”

Sasuke snorted as he looked down at the girl’s unconscious form. Her battle tactics were so lame. Her moves were hesitant, almost as if she were afraid. Her team must be embarrassed beyond measure. Kin seemed like a different fighter compared to her behavior in the Forest of Death. It was embarrassing for him to have been almost beaten by their team. Zaku was out, Dosu was out, and now the last, Kin.

“That match lasted two seconds,” Sasuke almost groused. “That was the most unexciting battle I’ve ever seen. Shikamaru’s strategy was pretty impressive, though. You probably would have liked it.”

“I probably would have,” Mayu agreed with a smile. “But I’m sure it wasn’t over that quickly. Don’t be a drama queen, bird boy.”

“Worry about your own crown, cocoon.”

“It was over pretty fast, though!” Naruto agreed. “Since it was Shikamaru, he probably wanted it to end as quickly as possible.”

“That certainly does sound like the lazy guy,” Mayu commented.

“He’ll probably fall asleep as soon as he gets up here,” Sasuke added. “He’s like a sloth.”

“Thanks for the compliments…” A semi-annoyed Shikamaru walked pass Team 7.

Mayu only snickered. _“Okay, so who’s left? I know that Naruto and Sasuke haven’t fought yet. Lee-san, Kiba, Neji, Panda-chan, Chouji, and that purple-wearing ninja haven’t fought yet either. And I think the next one is the seventh match.”_ She scratched her cheek. _“I can’t remember who’s supposed to fight next, though…”_ The randomizing of names began. _“Oh, well… I guess I’m about to find out.”_ The computer buzzed again. The names of the two participates were revealed.

**Uzumaki Naruto**

**VS.**

**Inuzuka Kiba**

Mayu didn’t even at to look at the screen to see that her teammate was in the next match. The way he whooped indicated that much. Lee sighed in disappointment. “I am going to die of old age before it is my turn!” He slumped in disappointment. “I only want to show Sakura-san what I am made of… She is going to get tired of waiting at this rate. Why am I being denied my wish…?!” Mayu giggled lightly, causing Lee to blush. Sasuke merely shook his head, and Naruto continued to cheer for himself.

“I’d wish you luck, but you wouldn’t need it because you’re Uzumaki Naruto—my future Hokage! You’re so gonna win this!” Mayu slapped Naruto on the back. The blond didn’t even react to the hit. He was too busy laughing.

“You know it, Sakura-chan…!”

“What the hell are you waiting for then?” Sasuke grumbled. “Get your ass down there. You’re pissing me off!” Sasuke slapped his teammates back as well, but the sharp clap caused Naruto to go over the metal railing.

“Sasuke…!” Mayu admonished.

Sasuke ignored her, seemingly more interested in the next match. His dark eyes narrowed down at the blond shinobi. Naruto rubbed at his abused bottom, and then sourly stared up at the one responsible for his fall. Sasuek stared back uncaringly. Huffing to himself, Naruto shifted his focus on his opponent. Inuzuka Kiba had made it to the ground floor, less violently than Naruto had.

“Now the seventh match…” Hayate spoke, and then looked at both fighters. “Uzumaki Naruto and Inuzuka Kiba…”

“I’ve been waiting forever for this!” Naruto grinned. “Sorry, Kiba…! Don’t take it personally if I wipe the floor with you!” The Inuzuka looked utterly pissed. He pointed an angry finger at his blond opponent.

“That’s just what I was gonna say!” It almost sounded as if Kiba was accusing Naruto of treason. “… Only not so politely!” The blond felt suddenly angered when the dog, Akamaru, barked in agreement.

Sasuke sighed heavily as the two fighters began to bicker back and forth amongst each other. “It’s like a version of Naruto himself…” He almost rolled his eyes. “Both of them are morons… This match could go on like this for ages.” Mayu had to agree with Sasuke on that one. She did always think that Kiba was a bit like her blond teammate.

“Come on, Naruto! The time for useless banter is over!” Mayu shouted, fingers curled around the railing. “Don’t forget anything I told you and _take that bitch down_!” The girl received a few shock stares and a thumb up in confirmation. “That’s my future Hokage!”

“When you’re ready, you can begin,” Hayate told the two boys. Kiba looked back towards Naruto, and then grinned. The dog boy squatted down and held up a hand seal. He thought that he should take care of Naruto right away. If he started strong, he believed that Naruto wouldn’t stand a chance.

 _“_ **Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry** _…”_ Kiba grinned, thinking the fight was already over. _“_ **All Fours Jutsu**! _”_ The Inuzuka placed his hands on the ground. His nails grew into claws and his teeth lengthened and sharpened into fangs. “Here I come.” Kiba ran at Naruto with extreme speed. Naruto didn’t even have time to gasp in shock before the dog-user’s elbow made contact with his abdomen. The initial hit caused the blond to fly back. He did not get back up. Kiba stood up straight with a grin on his face. “He’s gonna be out for a while.” He proudly looked towards Hayate. “You can call the match now.”

Nearly everyone looked down at the field in either embarrassment, smugness, or disappointment. Kiba smirked and turned his back on the seemingly unconscious blond. Some said they knew that Kiba was just too much for the blond to handle. They believed that Uzumaki Naruto was weak. They were wrong… Smirks appeared on the faces of the two genin of Team 7.

Naruto suddenly sat up, surprising everyone in the room, including Kiba. He turned around, mouth slipping open as if he couldn’t believe that his opponent had gotten up after that one strike. He stood, although slowly, and grinned. Blood ran down his chin, but the shinobi merely wiped it away. “Don’t you ever— _ever_ underestimate me…!” Several intakes of breaths filled Naruto’s ears, causing his grin to grow. Soon after, Lee cheered loudly. As the underdog, he felt kinship with Naruto. “That hit… I’ve felt worse from a cat scratching me! That was lame as all get out! Maybe you should actually use that little doggie of yours?”

Each word Naruto spoke made Kiba increasingly agitated. He was openly insulting him as if his attack did nothing. It did do something! Naruto was bleeding and he was sure he heard something crack when his elbow hit its mark. The Inuzuka bared his sharp fangs. This little punk was definitely going to pay for his insolence. “Come on, Akamaru!” The puppy barked. Both boy and beast dashed towards Naruto. Kiba pulled a pair of balls out of his pouch. Naruto recognized the two balls almost instantly.

He quickly dug around in his pouch and pulled out a vial. The small glass bottle contained a dark, yellowish liquid. Kiba, so caught up in throwing his smoke grenades, didn’t notice Naruto’s actions. The two bombs blew up near Naruto’s feet. The smoke surrounded him. He could not see through the thick smoke. Kiba wasted no time in going into the field. He knew where Naruto was and attacked. The blond grunted with each blow he received from the dog-user. He rubbed at his chin, smearing the blood. “I’ve got to get outta here!” He randomly chose a direction to run in.

Just as he seemed to break free from the area of smoke, Akamaru lunged at him and pushed him back into the smoke field. The small white puppy had driven his fangs deep into Naruto’s arm. “Son of a bitch…!” The blond grimaced as he yanked Akamaru away from arm. His sleeve was now soaked with blood. He slammed his palm against the dog’s nose, and then slammed him to the ground. Akamaru’s body twitched but did not get up again. The dog was alive but incapacitated now. Naruto grimaced, shifting his focus. _“Now to get the owner…”_

Outside of the area of smoke, Kiba waited until the veil dispersed. He smirked when Naruto and Akamaru were revealed. The former lied on the floor, looking quite battered. The latter, though, seemed to be grinning as he wagged his tail. “Way to go, Akamaru! This fight is done!” The dog began running towards his partner. Kiba held his arms out, ready for his dog to jump into his arms. “Nice job, Aka-”

_POOF_

“Take this…!” Naruto twisted midair. The heel of his foot connected with Kiba’s jaw. The surprise of the attack—not to mention the force—caused Kiba’s stance to falter. He staggered back as Naruto’s feet touched the ground. While the dog-user was distracted, the blond gave a swift upper-cut to his opponent. It literally picked Kiba off the ground. Naruto didn’t stop his attack after that, though. He punched the Inuzuka in the chest several times, causing him to double over. His lungs felt like they were going to explode at any second. Lastly, Naruto bent his body backwards, so his palms touched the floor. His legs came up and wrapped around Kiba’s neck. The blond swung his lower body up and over. Kiba’s face smashed hard against the floor.

Naruto released his captive and flipped away from him. Kiba’s legs promptly fell to the floor. The Inuzuka did not move. Blood pooled around his head. It came from his, most likely, broken nose. The genin from the Leaf all stared in amazement. They had no idea that Naruto could follow through with an attack like that. He was definitely not the loser that they used to know back in the Academy.

 _“Naruto…”_ Even though Sasuke knew of his teammate’s growth in strength, he could not fathom that the blond had did something like that. His taijutsu had improved. Before, Naruto was just another brawler. His fighting tactics were like an untrained kid at times. But this—this was simply astounding. His dark eyes glanced at the kunoichi of the team. Clearly, Naruto had soaked up her teachings. _“She’s the reason…”_

The blond panted heavily as he stared at Kiba’s unmoving form. His blue eyes darted over to Akamaru. His small white body still lied there, motionless. One of Naruto’s clones had hidden Akamaru’s body. The Inuzuka looked at the clone and assumed that it was the real Naruto. That clone had also acted as a shield. Kiba suddenly twitched, drawing Naruto’s blue eyes back to him. His fingers moved awkwardly until his palms were flat on the floor. He slowly stood up, struggling all the way. Naruto’s eyes grew wide. It wasn’t just Kiba’s nose that was bleeding. His lip was also split open. And from the way Kiba bared his teeth, he could tell that he was missing a couple of those teeth.

He grimaced at the sight.

“This… isn’t… over… yet!” The Inuzuka panted heavily. And why wouldn’t he be? Those punches to the chest weren’t for nothing, after all. Take your enemy’s breath away and you gain the upper hand, he remembered. “Where’s… Aka… maru…?!”

“He’s right beside you.” Naruto pointed to the dog. Kiba’s eyes frantically darted over to his battle partner. “But I guess you couldn’t sniff him out because your senses are filled with blood.

“What the hell did you do to him?!”

“I paralyzed his body. He won’t be moving for a while. You should give up while you’re still conscious, Kiba.”

“When did Naruto paralyze Akamaru, and how did he do it?” Ino’s tone was doubtful.

“He probably did it when no one could see him,” Shikamaru answered. “How, though, I’m not sure.”

“I made him sniff this incredibly nasty smelling stuff I found in the forest!” Naruto shrugged, but grinned as he explained. “I was just going to use it for another prank, but who knew that I be up against a dog? _Hahaha_ …”

Kiba didn’t find anything funny now. “You bastard…! I was going easy on you in the beginning, but now you’re mine!” The Inuzuka charged at Naruto, and then spun his body around. His spin picked up speed. One would think Kiba had transformed into a giant drill. That drill headed straight for Naruto. “ **Piercing Fang**!”

“ **Shadow Clone Jutsu**!” Five clones appeared in front of the blond. The real Naruto rolled to the side as his clones were barreled through by Kiba’s attack. Luckily, the clones had slowed the Inuzuka down or he would have been toast. Kiba slid to a stop a few yards from where Naruto landed.

 _“Even without Akamaru to help me, I’m still faster and stronger than him!”_ He smirked. _“I can still defeat this guy! I’ll just use the All Fours Jutsu. I think my body’s too weak to attempt the Piercing Fang again.”_ The dog-user rushed at the blond again, attacking from all sides. As he attacked, he couldn’t help but to taunt him. Saying things like how he was going to become Hokage instead. He even laughed about it.

Naruto almost growled. It wasn’t very threatening seeing as how he was on the ground. “How dare he mock my dream…?!” The blond pushed himself off the floor. “I won’t lose to you!”

“Dream on, kid! You’re definitely going to lose! You can’t even keep up with me!” Kiba charged at Naruto once again. This time, however, the blond ran towards him as well. Mere inches away from one another, Naruto thrust his hand forward. His palm smacked against Kiba’s nose and mouth causing him to fall back. “ _Ahhh_! Nasty! What the hell is that taste!”

“The stuff I found in the forest.” Naruto laughed at his good fortune. “Lucky I still had some still on my hand. Since you’re like a dog with your senses, I’m guessing you’ll be paralyzed from that in a few seconds.”

Kiba glowered. _“I can still move… If I can just take him down before my body freezes up_!” The Inuzuka ran towards Naruto again.

 _“If that’s the way you want it…”_ Naruto thought. Kiba quickly closed in on the blond. Naruto swiftly dropped to the ground. Kiba’s eyes widened at his sudden ‘disappearance.’ A foot, out of nowhere, struck his chin, kicking the dog-user up high. On all fours, Naruto jumped up after him.

 _“Wait a minute…! That’s…!”_ Green eyes widened at the sight of Naruto behind Kiba’s body.

The blond wrapped his fingers around Kiba’s hood, and then forced his body to descend. On the way down, the two seem to orbit around each other. “ **Uzumaki’s** …” With one final turn, Naruto made Kiba’s body crash on the floor. “ **Seismic Body Toss**!” The orange-clad ninja flipped away from the motionless body belonging to Inuzuka Kiba. Everyone stared, mouths agape.

 _“That move…!”_ Sasuke tried to close his mouth, but it stayed open. He was that shocked. _“That move was like the one Lee used on me! How did he…?”_

Naruto panted heavily. He stared at Kiba, waiting for his opponent to stand again. However, after of few moments of not moving, Hayate finally came over to check the body. He looked up at Naruto. He, too, seemed mildly surprised. He coughed a few times before speaking. “It’s over… The match goes to Uzumaki Naruto.”

“Hell yeah, Naruto! That’s what I’m talking ‘bout!” Mayu cheered.

“He has gotten stronger,” Sasuke remarked, impressed.

Naruto ran up the stairs with renewed vigor. “That was nothing! It was a piece of cake for me!” He laughed as he walked towards his team. A quiet voice stopped him. He turned around to see Hinata shyly averting her stare. However, she clearly spoke to him. She stood behind him, cheeks stained red like normal. The kunoichi’s fingers drummed against the small cylinder container in her hands.

“Con-Congratulations on winning, Na-Naru-Naruto-kun…!” Hinata stammered out, nervously. She took hesitant steps over to the blond. “I-I-I… Here—it’s some-something for your injuries…” She presented the container. “A-A-A healing ointment…”

Naruto blinked a moment in confusion, and then grinned like a fox. Hinata’s blush intensified. The blond took the ointment from her hands. “Thanks a lot, Hinata!” He gave her a side-ways hug. “I hope you cheered me on! Well, see ya!” He trotted off towards his team, not knowing that he had caused the Hyuga to faint. Kurenai had to catch her student before she hit the ground.

“Way to show ‘em, Naruto…! That was some fight!” Mayu greeted the blond shinobi with a raised hand.

“And you expected something less?” Naruto slapped her palm with his own.

“I have to say, Naruto… I was quite impressed,” Kakashi said smiled under his mask.

“I think we should stop complimenting him. His face is going to split if he grins anymore,” Sasuke scoffed. Then he smirked. “Nice job, Naruto.” The blond snickered, flushing under the weight of the simple praises. “But my fight is sure to be better.” Naruto lost his grin.

“What’d you say?!” He pointed a finger.

Mayu decided to ignore her teammates for the time being. After all, they had started to squabble about who was better. Something they always did. _“That was the seventh match, so there are three more.”_ She counted the number of fighters left on her fingers. _“Sasuke still hasn’t fought yet… Man, I really hope he doesn’t get paired up with Panda-chan…”_

“Okay, we’ll now pick the names for the next match!” Hayate announced, and then coughed loudly.

**Akimichi Chouji**

**VS.**

**Hyuga Neji**

“Hyuga Neji… That’s Hinata’s cousin, isn’t it?” Naruto asked. Mayu nodded. “Then he’s going to have the same abilities, then…”

“Chouji might not stand a chance in hell,” Sasuke remarked.

“Oh? Do you have faith in your suitor now?” Mayu asked.

“Shut up.”

Neji and Chouji both made their way down to the arena floor. The latter was a bit hesitant, though, so it took some time for him to reach the male Hyuga. _“Just keep thinking about that barbeque…!”_ Chouji thought to motivate himself. Neji only smirked, thinking his had this battle in the bag.

“You can do it, Chouji!” Shikamaru called.

“Yeah…! Take him down so I can date Sasuke-kun faster!” Ino also called out to her teammate. “FATSO…!”

Chouji’s ear twitched, and then he started growling. “I’m gonna finish this match, and then I’m coming after you, Ino!” The Yamanaka only giggled.

“You honestly think you have a chance against me, fat ass?” Neji asked. “You seem to forget that you’re afraid of me. We’ll just have to fix that, now, won’t we?” The Hyuga shinobi dropped into his stance. Chouji turned angry eyes on Neji. Fire seemed to replace his pupils.

“I’m taking you down, girly man!” His retort caused Neji’s eyebrow to twitch. He activated his advanced bloodline. _“I know about his abilities, seeing as how I saw Hinata fight… If I just keep attacking, he won’t be able to go on the offensive.”_

“I know what you’re thinking…” Neji smirked. “But let me assure you, I’m not as weak as that other Hyuga.”

“What’d he say?!” Naruto shouted. “How dare you say that about Hinata?! I would so pay to see her kick your ass!”

“Such development…!” Mayu gushed. Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Oh, should you cheer for Neji since he likes you, Sasuke? Give him some motivation to win?”

“…” Sasuke furrowed his brow. “Hey, Neji…!” The older shinobi turned back. “I’ll hold your hand if you win.” Neji scowled harshly, and then returned his attention to his opponent. Sasuke frowned a bit, and then shrugged. “Well, that didn’t work.”

“Do you actually _want_ to hold Neji’s hand?” Mayu questioned, looking his way. “That was an oddly specific prize.”

“ _Nah_ , just wanted to see what he would do,” Sasuke said. “I’ve never had a suitor treat me so coldly. It’s interesting.” Mayu giggled. “Shut up, cocoon. I’m allowed to have hobbies.”

“The eighth match of the preliminaries may begin when ready,” Hayate said, looking from Neji to Chouji.

“ **Ninja Art: Expansion Jutsu**!” Chouji’s already plump body became a giant ball with arms, legs, and a head. He stuffed his limbs inside his clothes and began to roll, slowly, towards the smirking Hyuga. “ **Human Bullet Tank**!”

Neji practically walked out of the way of Chouji’s form. The human ball followed him, but it was much too slow be a real threat. The Hyuga strategically place himself in front of the wall. Just as he planned it, Chouji followed him. A few seconds before the Akimichi reached him, he jumped out of the way. Chouji crashed into the wall and got stuck. Neji landed just behind his opponent as he tried to escape. The smirk never left his face. “What a disappointment. I guess my real skills will have to wait to be revealed in the finals.” The Hyuga brought his hand back, and then thrust his palm against Chouji’s enlarged body. The chakra forced into his body and caused the younger boy to twitch. His body then went limp.

The Hyuga scoffed at his apparent win, and then turned away. “This match is over.” He walked away from his opponent. Hayate didn’t respond. “Why aren’t you calling the match? I’ve clearly beaten that fat buffoon!” Neji narrowed his eyes at the proctor as if he were about to challenge him. The ground started to rumble, causing spectators to gasp. All eyes were now on Chouji’s trembling form. The Akimichi had finally managed to get out of the wall.

“WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!” He rolled towards Neji, this time at a much faster speed. “I’M PLESANTLY PLUMP, DAMNIT!”

 _“But how…?!”_ Neji quickly got into the Hyuga stance, but to no avail. Chouji knocked him over like a bowling pin.

“Yeah! That’s my teammate!” Ino cheered, punching the air with her fist. “Kick his ass, Chouji!”

The Akimichi turned to attack the Hyuga again. Grimacing, the Hyuga shinobi dove out of the path of the human ball. Again and again. He had been forced into that role because of how quickly his opponent moved. _“How is he so much faster?! And why did the Gentle Fist not work on him?!”_ The Hyuga rolled out of the way of another attack, just barely gracing his leg.

“Well, that’s weird.” Mayu blinked. Her two teammates looked at her in question. “I’m not saying Chouji’s weak or anything, but… Neji’s attack should have knocked him out. After all, I really think that Neji didn’t want to fight Chouji, so he wanted to finish it quickly.” Mayu narrowed his eyes. “And after the hit, Chouji seemed to get faster. Don’t you find that weird?” Naruto shrugged and Sasuke raised an eyebrow. “Go get Hinata-chan, Naruto.”

“But why?”

“Cuz I said so, damn it!”

Naruto quickly rushed off.

He came back a few seconds later, dragging the Hyuga kunoichi behind him. Her cheeks flared bright pink because the blonde had dragged her by the hand. Hinata had to smother her body’s defense system, which involved fainting. “Okay, okay! I brought her!” Naruto grumbled. “So, what’s up?”

“Hinata-chan, can you watch the fight with your Byakugan triggered?” Mayu turned her attention to the Hyuga kunoichi. She blinked, but then nodded. “I need you to watch closely the next time Neji tries to attack with the Gentle Fist again.” Hinata nodded again in affirmation.

Down below, Neji had decided to stop running. He clenched his teeth. How embarrassing it was to run away in front of people, he thought. He dropped down into an offensive Hyuga stance. Chouji approached Neji’s range, and yet he did not falter. He slammed both hands against Chouji’s form. The initial hit pushed the Akimichi a few meters back. Neji continued to push against Chouji, forcing more chakra into the body. Finally, the force knocked the younger shinobi back completely. He rolled away from Neji towards the opposite wall. Chouji, once again, crashed.

Neji dropped his arms and smirked. “That definitely took him out.” He crossed his arms as he stared at the damaged that had occurred. “You see that? My superior genius allowed me to win. You were fated to be defeated by me from the moment we started. I do not know why you didn’t receive damage from my first hit, but now… it’s over.”

“It… It can’t be…” Hinata sounded completely surprised.

“What is it, Hinata-chan?” Mayu questioned.

“He is carrying out the Gentle Fist effectively, but… the chakra that goes into Chouji-san’s body is—it becomes scattered. The chakra isn’t hitting their target!” Hinata almost sounded anxious.

“…!” Mayu looked back towards the match. Neji looked utterly baffled at the fact that Chouji had dislodged himself from the wall again. “How can that be…?”

“I’m sorry… Was that supposed to hurt?” Chouji asked with a grin.

The male Hyuga growled. “Why aren’t my attacks doing anything to this fat moron…?!” The Akimichi exhaled sharply through his nose, clearly angered by the comment. He almost looked like a rapid bull. He then pulled out many kunai attached to wire. Mayu blinked.

“Chouji’s gonna win,” she observed.

“What? You sure?” Sasuke asked, raising a brow.

“I do not mean to be rude, Sakura-san, but what makes you so sure?” Lee inquired.

“Normally, the Gentle Fist is used to wear down the inside of the body, right?” Several heads nodded. “But Hinata-chan just told us that the chakra being forced inside Chouji’s body to do damage is being scattered instead. More than likely, Neji is only speeding up Chouji’s chakra flow—each time he hits him, it’s only giving Chouji more power and speed.”

“But that cannot be true! Neji would not make a mistake like that!” Lee protested.

“He’s not doing it on purpose, Lee-san.” Mayu stared at the battle. Chouji wrapped the wire of kunai around his body.

“ **Ninja Art: Expansion Jutsu**!” His body once again became a human ball. “ **Spiked Human Bullet Tank**!” He rolled towards Neji at an incredible speed. He had become so fast—too fast. The Hyuga realized that he would not—could not dodge the oncoming ball of flesh and spikes.

“But how can this be?” Lee asked.

Mayu narrowed her green eyes as they watched. Chouji maliciously mauled over the paralyzed Hyuga down below. “Simply put…” she began. The Akimichi stopped rolling. He frowned when his eyes landed on the Hyuga. “Chouji is too fat for the technique to work on his body. All that fat and muscle behind his skin—the chakra just couldn’t squeeze through to their targets. Not properly, I’m guessing.” Neji shuddered violently. His body shook from the pain and the shock. Blood was everywhere. It pooled around his mangled body.

“The match goes to Akimichi Chouji.” Hayate quickly moved to the Hyuga’s side. He placed a hand on his cheek. Neji’s teeth chattered, and his lip quivered. “Medic…! We need a medic! He’s going into shock!” Chouji’s mouth dropped open. Had he really him that badly? The team of medics that had come quickly led Neji out on a stretcher.

“ _WHOO_ …! Nice job, Chouji!” Ino praised. “Wow, I didn’t think he would win…” she muttered. “Now all of us are going to the finals.” Her blue eyes glanced over at Team 7. _“Sasuke-kun is sure to win his match, which means Sakura’s team is also going to be in the finals.”_ The bleach blond smirked. _“I have to get stronger—stronger than Sakura!”_

Lee’s eyes lingered on Chouji as the boy walked pass. “I still do not understand how Neji, a genius, could have lost.” He stared down at the floor. Did that mean his rivalry with the Hyuga was for not? The number one rookie of last year had lost to Akimichi Chouji.

“It was his arrogance. He relied on his bloodline—he relied _too_ much on his bloodline. Thinking that he was above his opponent was his downfall.” Sasuke looked a bit bored. Lee looked towards the Uchiha. “He had the same eyesight as Hinata, and yet he didn’t see what he, himself, did.” He leaned against the railing. “Those who can’t think straight during battle don’t deserve to become chuunin, anyway.”

“ _Soooo_ …! He’s doing a terrible job at wooing you?” Mayu observed.

“Shut up.”

“Ya know… It’s kinda ironic that you’re saying that, though, Sasuke,” Mayu continued, clasping her hands behind her back. “Since you used to be the same way.” Naruto nodded his head in agreement. The Uchiha glared at his two teammates.

“Morons, don’t say that!” His dark eyes looked towards Naruto. He smirked. “And why exactly are you _still_ holding Hinata’s hand, huh?”

“Huh…?!” The blond quickly released the modest girl’s hand. She blushed deeply yet frowned in disappointment. “Sh-Shut up, jerk…!” Feeling embarrassed, he felt the need to change the subject. “Hey, they’re deciding the names of the next match!” Luckily, everyone focused on the board. They had cleaned the blood from the floor by this time, so it was time to get the next match started.

“Alright…! You’ve been picked this time, Lee, I just know it!” Gai gave his star pupil a thumb up. “Are you ready, Lee?”

“No…!” Lee turned his head away as though offended. Those around him rolled their eyes. “I have been waiting so long that I do not care!” Lee declared. “I might as well be last!” He huffed, and then crossed his arms. Mayu stopped herself from cooing fondly.

On the other side, Gaara disappeared by use of sand and reappeared on the arena floor. “Don’t keep me waiting,” he said, light eyes focusing on their group. Did that mean…? Mayu almost squealed. Finally, she was going to see the fight between her two favorite male characters.

**Gaara**

**VS.**

**Rock Lee**

“Yes! It worked like a charm!” Lee proclaimed, kicking the air, seemingly victorious. He said he knew that if he said it wasn’t going to be next then he definitely was going to be next. Sasuke thought it was just some sort of messed up logic. Lee and his sensei spoke loudly with one another. They were so weird. Copies of each other. Alone they were tolerable, but together they were crazy, Sasuke thought, frowning. He glanced at the kunoichi on his team. She stared at the two ninja, clear adoration in her expression. Sasuke merely shook his head.

“Now…! Go rock this fight, Lee!” Gai pointed a finger.

“Yes, sir!”

“Wait a minute, Lee-san!” Mayu caught his attention. The green-clad genin halted his movements. He had hopped on the railing in preparation of jumping. Lee turned to the kunoichi, eyebrows raised in question. “I wanted to say good luck, so… Good luck, Lee-san!” She smiled at him.

“ _Ah_ … Thank you, Sakura-san. Your concern is much appreciated.” He gave her a blinding smile in return. “If I win my match, allow me to accompany you for dinner?”

“We’ll see,” Mayu answered, coyly. She then pulled on his shoulder, bringing him closer. Sakura’s lips pressed against Lee’s cheek again. “ _Chu_ …!” In response, the older shinobi blushed a deep red before falling to the ground floor below. The sloppy grin remained even as he crashed.

“Was that _really_ necessary, _Sakura_?” Sasuke asked, flatly.

“Well, if you had given _your_ suitor a good luck kiss, maybe he would have won,” Mayu retorted, crossing her arms. Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Let’s just focus on the match, bird boy.”

And so, they watched the battle between Lee and Gaara. It was unlike anything she imagined. More than once, she had lost her breath. Both combatants were powerful in their own styles. In the end, however, the winner was Gaara. He won after shattering Lee’s limbs. Watching it happen up close like this had been vastly different than watching on a television. It felt _personal_. Lee was… Gaara was… Before she realized, her sight blurred as she watched Gai intervene before sand reached his student to finish the job. She hugged herself and squeezed her eyes shut. It was more brutal than she expected.

A hand clamped down her shoulder, startling her out of her thoughts. Mayu opened her eyes and turned her head. To her surprise, Sasuke had been the one. However, his dark eyes remained on the ground floor. “That guy… is strong,” he murmured, furrowing his brow. “Too strong for a genin. There’s something about him.” His frown deepened. Apparently, he was not aware of his hand’s movement. Mayu swallowed hard, looking back to the field. Gai cradled his injured student in his arms as he followed medic-nin. Gaara walked, although not easily, back to where his team stood. “I can’t… I don’t know if there’s a strategy to follow with him.”

Mayu sniffled lightly. “His sand is a problem,” she admitted. She hurriedly wiped stray tears away. Sasuke’s hand slipped from her shoulder. “Like his sister, his techniques are clearly offensive and defensive. Just speed won’t work against him.”

“Isn’t there a way to cut through his sand?” Naruto questioned, body tense. “That guy took out Bushy-Brow so… well, not easily. But even struggling against him, he still-”

“Tried to kill him,” Sasuke filled in. “This guy’s bloodlust is too unstable.”

“Are you saying you wouldn’t want to fight him?” Mayu asked.

“… Not as I am,” Sasuke admitted. “I just have to get stronger then.” Finally, his dark eyes turned to Mayu. “Don’t worry about Lee. I’m pretty sure he’s resilient. Don’t cry.”

“I… Yeah, you’re right,” Mayu said. “This defeat won’t stop someone like Lee-san.”

“I still want a rematch with him, so it better not,” he retorted, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Would the last two competitors come forth?” Hayate called up.

“That’s me,” Sasuke stated the obvious. “I’d say wish me luck, but I don’t need something like that.”

“Don’t be so arrogant, bird boy,” Mayu told him. “Watch out for his hands.”

“His hands? Why?”

“He might try to cop a feel. You’re pretty.”

“ _You’re_ an idiot,” Sasuke said, walking away.

He made it to the ground floor, standing opposite of the last competitor. If he recalled right, this man happened to be teammates with that shinobi who quit earlier. The one who Mayu openly showed hostility for. Sasuke briefly wondered if the rest of the team had some hidden reason why. Behind him, both Naruto and Mayu cheered for him. Threatened him, really. Better not be left behind. Sasuke refrained from rolling his eyes. Whatever strange techniques his opponent might have, he had no doubt of the outcome of this match. This Yoroi did not stand a chance against him.

“Very well, then…” Hayate coughed again. “The last match of the preliminaries can begin when ready.”

“Oh, I’m ready…” Yoroi said, hand forming a seal.

Sasuke smirked again. “Bring it on…!” he taunted, not realizing that his opponent’s hand glowed blue with chakra. The man’s other hand dug around in his back pouch and pulled out several shuriken, which he threw at the Uchiha. Sasuke merely ducked low, successfully dodging the oncoming shuriken. Keeping near to the ground, he rushed at Yoroi and pulled out a kunai form his holster. The man glared as he stepped forward. The boy was stupid to rush at him like that. More chakra gathered in his palm in preparation for his technique. All he had to do was wait for the Uchiha to come within range.

It did not take long for Sasuke to do this. Yoroi thrust his hand forward, but his palm hit nothing. Sasuke had forced chakra into his feet, causing his body to spring up and over Yoroi’s body. The Uchiha landed and twisted his body around so that he could attack the man in his blind spot. There was no point in dragging this match on, after all. What Sasuke did not count on was Yoroi swiftly turning. His hand gripped the handle of the kunai in Sasuke’s hand. His other—chakra enveloped—hand pushed Sasuke’s chest. The boy fell with Yoroi hovering over him.

Dark eyes widened, realizing his position underneath the man. _“She wasn’t joking…!”_ Sasuke grimaced as he felt the man press harder against his chest. “Where do you think you’re touching?!!” Yoroi ignored the comment from the Uchiha. His hand glowed yet again. Under his purple mask, he smirked. Sasuke’s body visibly lost tension. The Uchiha stopped struggling. His grip on his kunai loosened as well. Yoroi quickly threw that aside with his free hand. “Wh-What the hell are you… do-doing to m-me?! My chakra…!”

“You fool…! I have you right where I want you!” Yoroi let out a spiteful laugh.

Sasuke’s eyes grew widened again in utter horror. “Let me g-go, pedophile!” The Uchiha managed to find the strength to kick the man from him. He jumped away from his opponent. Shuddering, he held himself with both arms. “Don’t touch me you sicko!”

“I’m not a pedophile!” Yoroi protested, offended. “I’m not gay either…!”

“Stop! Don’t touch him there! That is his private square!” Naruto and Mayu sang in unison. Their sensei shook his head. On the other side, Kankuro scowled in their direction. “Come on, Sasuke! You can totally kick this pedo’s ass!” Naruto continued.

 _“I can’t get near him again… He has some type of ability that sucks the chakra right out of my body.”_ Sasuke frowned. _“Long-ranged attacks should work.”_

“You fucking prick!” Yoroi, angered, charged at Sasuke, palm at the ready. The man had average speed for a ninja. With speed like his, it would be easy for his long-ranged attacks to get him. The Uchiha took this time to run through hand seals. Rat, Tiger, Dog, Ox, Rabbit, Tiger…

“ **Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu**!” Multiple small fireballs shot forth and headed for Yoroi. The man did not move. He knew this fire technique was short ranged. The fire would burn out before reaching him because of the distance. Just as Sasuke expected.

“You really think that’s going to hit?!” Yoroi taunted, unaware of the smirk on his opponent’s face. He did not count on the fire hiding shuriken. The secondary attack riddled his body with the sharp weapons. The man cried out in surprise and pain. Sasuke disappeared from his sight, causing the man to search frantically for him as he pulled the shuriken from his body. “Where are you, you little shit?! You can’t hide forever!”

“Who’s hiding?” Sasuke’s voice came directly behind Yoroi. The man sharply turned and grabbed the Uchiha’s forehead.

“You think you’re so goddamn clever, don’t you?” Yoroi began sucking the chakra away. “Well, now you’re defenseless!” He grabbed Sasuke’s wrist. The boy groaned, already growing weaker. “It’s over!” The Uchiha suddenly smirked. “Huh…?!”

“Yeah… it is over.” Sasuke’s voice came from a different direction. Yoroi slowly turned his head. He saw the kid mere meters. His hands ran through seals. Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Tiger… “ **Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu**!” Yoroi screamed as the giant ball engulfed his entire body along with the clone.

“Yeah, Sasuke, bring the heat!” Mayu cheered.

Because of the flames, Yoroi would suffer through third-degree burns for the rest of his life. “The last match of the preliminary rounds goes to Uchiha Sasuke,” Hayate announced. “Someone, please tend to him.” He gestured towards the fallen shinobi. Medics rushed to the field, moving quickly to carry the burned man away. His cries carried and echoed throughout the large room. “And with that match, the exam’s preliminaries are now over. The ones who qualify for the finals need to come down here to hear further instructions.”

Gradually, all ten fighters who won their matches made their way down. They now stood in front of Hayate. Mayu nudged Sasuke’s side. “Good job, you pyromaniac, you…!” she tried to whisper. Naruto snickered, and then patted the Uchiha’s shoulder.

“Yeah, that was awesome, but not better than mine!” Naruto didn’t even try.

“I was hiding my real abilities on purpose,” Sasuke replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Like I want everyone to know what I’m truly capable of this early in the game. _I’m_ not the showoff.” Mayu made a face. “Shut up, M-Sakura.”

Before Naruto could retort, Hayate cleared his throat to gain the attention of the three genin of Team 7. “Congratulations to all ten of you,” he continued. Anko, Ibiki, and the Third Hokage stood behind him. “As of now, the Hokage will begin the explanation for the next steps.”

“For the final round, each one of you will put your battle skills on display,” Sarutobi began. Mayu immediately stopped listening again. One day, she might be killed for her impudence. Until then, she would ignore speeches. Especially speeches she had already heard before. The kunoichi swayed from side to side, thinking of a foreign tune to pass the time. She pressed down the urge to sing aloud. “… Now, in a _calm_ and orderly fashion, each of you will take one slip of paper from the box that Anko is holding.” Mayu perked up, realizing the Hokage seemed to pass the torch.

“Everyone just stay where you are,” Anko ordered. “I’ll be the one that comes to you.” She went to Ino first as she was the furthest on the right. “Just take one,” she told her. Ino placed her hand in the box and pulled out a piece of paper. Eventually, everyone had a slip of folded paper.

“Alright, starting from the left to the right, tell me the number that is written on your paper—and there is to be no trading, pinkie!” Ibiki gave a pointed looked towards Mayu. She had been trying to take Naruto’s paper, grabbing at it and such. “Blondie, what’s your number?” Ino frowned before responding. One by one, the genin read their number aloud. As they spoke, Ibiki wrote down on a clipboard. Once finished, the Hokage cleared his throat.

“Right. I will now tell you how the finals will work,” he said. “Ibiki, you may reveal the ninja match up for the third part of the Chuunin Exam.” At his command, the special jounin flipped his clipboard and held the paper for the genin to see. Mayu blinked rapidly as her eyes scanned over the pairings. Her mouth dropped open in shock. She really should not be after everything, but the matches were completely different from the show.

Uzumaki Naruto v Temari

Aburame Shino v Akimichi Chouji

Nara Shikamaru v Kankuro

Uchiha Sasuke v Haruno Sakura

Yamanaka Ino v Gaara

_“I knew that it was going to change, but to change this much…?! This is cruel and unusual punishment!”_ Green eyes grew wide as she continued to read over the clipboard. “No way…” she muttered. A grin slowly spread across the kunoichi’s face. _“I get to fight Sasuke…?”_ The grin became wider. _“I shouldn’t be happy, and yet I’m so excited!”_ She looked in his direction to find dark eyes staring back at her. To the untrained eye, he appeared as apathetic as usual. However, Mayu saw the glint in his eye. He looked forward to the match as well. Well, perhaps she was projecting. Still, he did not look thoroughly soured by the matchup. That was a plus. _“Better train hard, Sasuke. I won’t be pulling my punches just because.”_ As if sensing her thoughts, the Uchiha suddenly smirked.

“With that decided, we will adjourn until one month has passed. Rest well, train hard, and do your best. And once again, congratulations on making it this far,” Sarutobi said. “You are dismissed until then.”

0-0


	18. Youth of the Nation

The three genin of Team 7 stared at their sensei waiting for him to speak. He had called them to one of the training fields as soon as the Hokage had finished up his speech for the finals. The three had reached the designated area two hours ago. Kakashi had showed up about five minutes ago. Sometimes, it was so aggravating to have a ninja, who did not care about time, as a sensei. Unaware of himself being judged, Hatake Kakashi gazed at his three students, proud that they had all made it to the finals.

Naruto shifted impatiently in his seated position. Just how long was Kakashi going to keep them in silence? When he told them to meet him here, he had made it sound urgent. But he hadn’t shown up until now. A deep rumbling in Naruto's throat startled Kakashi out of his thoughts. He cleared his throat, causing the blond to stop growling. Finally, he was getting on with it.

“Alright, I have gathered you are here to discuss how you three are to be trained for the finals of the Chuunin Exam. I have taken the liberty of assigning you three different trainers.” Kakashi paused, waiting for the onslaught of protests. He did not have to wait long.

“What…?! What do you mean _different_?!” Naruto stood up and pointed an accusing finger at the jounin. “You’re not training us?! You lazy bum!” What surprised Kakashi the most was that Sasuke also stood and protested with Naruto.

“We’re not training together? But why?”

Kakashi sighed before speaking. “I have other matters to attend to. I do not have time to train all three of you. And besides, two of you are going to fight each other in the finals. What is the point of fighting if you know how your opponent will come at you? Also, this way, you three can get stronger, faster.” The copy ninja shoved his hands into his pockets. Naruto only growled some more as he crossed his arms. Sasuke merely looked away. Kakashi’s visible eye focused in on Mayu. The kunoichi had yet to say anything on the matter. “Sakura, is there anything you’d like to say?”

Mayu curled up her legs so that her knees were pressed against her chin. “You’re training Sasuke alone, aren’t you, sensei?” she asked. This only caused the blond member of the team to go ballistic.

“What the _hell_ , Kakashi-sensei?! Why does Sasuke get special treatment?! You’re probably going to show him an awesome new jutsu, aren’t you?!” Naruto did not lower his accusing finger. The copy ninja sighed wearily as he glowered in Mayu’s direction. She certainly did have a weird way of being jealous.

“Now, now, you three. There will be no complaining.” Kakashi scratched his head. “The reason that I will be supervising Sasuke’s training is because I’m the only one in the village that has the Sharingan other than him. To put it bluntly, he needs this training from me. I hate to say it, but you two would only prove to be distractions for him.” Mayu scoffed.

“Sounds to me like you’re just favoring him!” The girl glared up at her superior. “You say that Naruto and I would be distractions, but the reason all of us made it to the finals was because we helped one another! Saying that we’re just distractions is an insult, and I don’t like it! I understand that training together for the finals wouldn’t be very smart, but you don’t have to say that we’re _distractions_ , sensei.” The two shinobi blinked in surprise. They stared at the kunoichi of the team. No matter how calm she seemed, she still sounded pissed. And that glare sent tingles down their arms. Girls sure were scary when provoked, Naruto thought, gulping. Kakashi sighed again.

“Sakura, I-” he tried.

“If that’s not an apology, then you can save it!”

“Sakura, calm-”

“I _am_ calm-!” she shouted.

“SAKURA!”

A light chuckle stopped Mayu from speaking again. Four heads turned in the direction of the chuckle. Walking towards Team 7, one of the two familiar jounin chuckled again. “This is quite the team you’ve got here, Kakashi.” The kunoichi spoke with a grin. Naruto pointed a finger at the woman. “But the loud one is rude.”

“What is _she_ doing here?!” Naruto’s question went unanswered as Kakashi walked beyond his subordinates. He greeted the two special jounin with a wave. “Hey!”

“Glad to see that you’ve made it.”

“Kakashi-sensei, what are they doing here?” Mayu finally stood up. The three genin walked over and stood behind their sensei, waiting to be introduced. Kakashi looked back at both Mayu and Naruto.

“These two will be the ones who are going to train you.” The copy ninja seemed to smile under his mask. “Like you already know, this is Anko-sensei. She will train you, Sakura.” Mayu looked towards older kunoichi. The woman’s grin was almost feral. Mayu chuckled uneasily. “And this-”

“I don’t wanna be trained by this _closet pervert_!” Naruto interrupted. The jounin in question pushed his dark circular shades closer to his eyes.

“Such insolence…” he muttered as if offended.

“He’s a… what?” Kakashi looked confused, as did Anko and Sasuke. Mayu, however, giggled. “What did you call him?”

“You’re kidding me!” The blond did not answer his sensei’s question. “Of all the people you could’ve picked, and you picked this guy?! He’s weaker than _I_ am!”

“What makes you say that?” Kakashi asked still confused.

“I think you’ve got it wrong, Naruto. I don’t think a jounin is weaker than _you_.” Sasuke felt the need to make this statement known. Because of his words, his blond teammate glared at him before focusing his attention on his sensei, obviously wanting an answer. Kakashi, however, did not lose the confusion.

“I’m serious! You should’ve seen it! I knocked this guy out cold with my _Harem Jutsu_! He fell to pieces after that!” Naruto explained in a loud voice.

“Harem Jutsu…?” Sasuke muttered.

“It’s basically the _Sexy Jutsu_ with a lot of clones,” Mayu whispered in his ear. She cupped a hand over her mouth as if to prevent others from knowing what she said. “It’s really quite effective against the opposite sex.” Sasuke rolled his eyes. “You definitely should learn it, too.”

“I’ll pass,” he retorted, swatting at her hand.

“Rude…!”

“I didn’t know you two were already acquainted,” Kakashi remarked.

Naruto opened his mouth, prepared to rant about his first encounter with the man. Ebisu quickly moved and covered Naruto’s mouth. Clearly restraining himself, the jounin gave a few friendly pats to Naruto’s head. “Yes, yes…!” he confirmed, slowly removing his hand from the blond shinobi’s mouth. The little tyke had stuck his tongue out. A strained chuckle slipped out of his mouth as he wiped his violated palm against his pants. “We go way back!” Naruto frowned deeply, giving a sour look.

“I still don’t get why it has to be him,” he grumbled. “I mean… I’d rather have the crazy lady instead.” Anko, taking no offense to that, gave a hearty laugh.

“Calm down, already. Listen, Naruto, you’re wrong about Ebisu-sensei,” Kakashi told the blond. “He’s a private tutor who only trains the _elite_. Frankly, he’s a better teacher than I am.” Naruto grumbled, not yet appeased by this information. “And anyway, out of the three genin of Team 7, you’re the only one whose basic skills need the most work, which is why I’m having Ebisu train you.”

“Wait a minute…! Are you honestly saying that I’m not as good as Sakura-chan or Sasuke?!” Naruto shouted. It was quiet for a few awkward moments. That is until laughter broke the silence. “Why the heck are you laughing, Sakura-chan?!” Chuckling followed. “You shut up, too, Sasuke!” Kakashi sighed again. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. His students were a handful at times.

“Naruto, no matter how many skills you master, the basics are always fundamental. Yours can be improved greatly. If you really want to become strong, then be quiet and pay attention! He is the perfect teacher for you. Sakura, Anko will be training you because of your similarities, so I don’t want to hear complaining from you either.” Mayu shrugged. Kakashi turned to his fellow jounin. “Alright, Anko-sensei and Ebisu-sensei, I leave them in your capable hands.” The copy ninja began to walk away. “Come along, Sasuke.” The Uchiha glanced back at his teammates before hesitantly following his own sensei. It was going to feel weird not being able to see each other for a whole month.

“Well, we better get going, too, pinkie!” Anko’s hand came down on Mayu’s shoulder a little too hard. The impact caused the girl to flinch. “Wave goodbye to your team, girl! This is the last time they see you as you are.” Mayu blinked, and then did as told. “That’s the spirit! Now let’s get going! As your sensei for one month, there will be no fooling around. Now, follow me!” The dark purple-haired woman sped off, leaving a dust cloud in her wake. Green eyes grew wide at the speed of the woman. Mayu took off after Anko, calling and pleading for her to wait up. Training with the woman was not going to be easy…

0-0

Mitarashi Anko grinned as she watched her temporary student pant like a dog in front of her. “I’m actually pretty impressed so far. Other genin your age would’ve passed out by now.” The grin did not disappear even as her student gave her a sour look. Mayu did not bother to stand from the ground. Her fingers curled around the dirt and her knees pressed hard against the surface. The young kunoichi remained panting, outside a food vendor. The structure looked like that of the Ichiraku Ramen Stand. Anko, still grinning, sat on one of the stools. She had a skewer clenched between her teeth, having already finished off her tenth helping of dango.

“You… ha-had me… chase after… a sh-sha-shadow clone… for _two hours_!” Mayu crawled over to the stool beside where Anko sat. Using her arms, she pulled herself up into a sitting position. The older kunoichi swiveled around on her stool. She took the wooden stick out of her mouth and placed it on the plate in front of her. “You… are an evil woman!” Anko only laughed again.

“Yeah, I get that one a lot!” She nodded her head as if it were obvious. Mayu grumbled some more as she faced away from her impermanent sensei. “Now that you’re here, why don’t you order some dango? This place is the best when it comes dango! I love it here! Order what you want! It’s on me!” The younger kunoichi instantly perked up at the thought of food. Her green eyes practically sparkled as she gazed at the menu above the servers. She clasped her hands together as her eyes darted all over. Anko sweated at the sight of Mayu practically bouncing in her seat.

Half an hour later, Mayu finished eating. “Thanks for the food…!” She sighed in satisfaction as she rubbed her full belly. Anko gave a sigh of her own but not in satisfaction. Tears flowed out of her eyes like waterfalls as she agonized over the loss of so much money. She wagged her empty brown wallet around. The jounin slowly turned her head to Mayu.

“Are you an Akimichi in disguise?” Anko asked, tears still flowing.

Mayu laughed loudly. _“Call it pay back for making me chase something that wasn’t even real!”_ she thought with an evil smirk. The jounin sighed again. “Oh well! No use crying over the past!” Mayu stood up. “Let’s start training!” Anko stood as well.

“Training…?” she repeated. She walked out of the building, causing Mayu to follow her. “Why so soon…? You _did_ just make it out of the preliminaries… barely. Go home, take a shower—you _do_ stink—and rest your small body.” The adolescent kunoichi frowned. She matched her pace to Anko’s.

“But I should start as soon as possible! Sasuke’s probably getting stronger right now!” Mayu shook her head. “I won’t be left behind!” The jounin stopped in her tracks. Mayu stumbled to a halt to avoid crashing into her sensei’s back. “ _Eh_? What?”

“Why are you so worked up about that Uchiha?”

“I’ve…” Mayu averted her stare, feeling a bit put on the spot. She felt heat rise to her cheeks. “I’ve always dreamt of-”

“ _Marrying_ him? Are you one of those annoying fangirls?” Anko placed her hands on her hip as she studied the girl in front of her. The girl’s eyes widened as though she could not believe the question. She also appeared to be elsewhere in her thoughts. “Hey…! Are you listening?!”

_When we’re older… marry me._

A distraught look passed over Mayu’s face as she continued to recall the dream she had in the Land of Waves. It still disturbed her even now. She twisted her face into a horrified grimace. Recalling that strange dream caused her to shudder in distaste. _Marry me…_ _Marry me…_ _Marry me…_ Sasuke voice rang in her head like a broken record. The kunoichi suddenly screamed.

Anko reeled back in shock as her pupil began rapidly shaking her head while screaming ‘NO! NO! NO!’ Getting tired of it, she slammed both hands on the younger kunochi’s shoulders. The screaming ended abruptly. “Calm down, already! Don’t freak out on me like that again! People already look at me weird!” The young girl frowned deeply. “It was just a question… _jeez_.”

“No way was I gonna say that!” she protested. “He’s my _teammate_! Why would I want to marry him?!” Anko rolled her eyes at the girl’s dramatics. “I was going to say that I’ve always dreamt about fighting him, that’s all!” She glared at her sensei. “That’d be like… like you marrying Iruka-sensei!”

“What?! _Why_ would you even-?!”

“ _Exactly_! Shit don’t make sense!”

Anko clicked her tongue, seemingly annoyed. “Alright, alright! Just calm down!” Mayu huffed, and then looked away. Anko sighed heavily, and then released the girl. “Fine, fine…! We don’t have to wait until tomorrow to begin your training.” Mayu’s eyes lit up. “But first, you go home and shower. Like I said, you stink. The smell is almost unbearable.” The girl silently fumed, though she understood. Proper hygiene had not existed for any of the genin for almost a week. “Meet me at the Hokage Monument at dusk.” The girl blinked, and then nodded. “I can’t _hear_ you, maggot!”

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am…!”

0-0

“You wished to see me, Hokage-sama?”

“Yes, of course, Anko-san…” Sarutobi replied. He looked up from the various and random papers on his desk. One would think that he would have less work to do since the Chuunin Exam started, but no. “I wanted to discuss your training methods for Haruno Sakura.” Anko blinked, truly taken by surprise. After all, why would the Hokage want to know something like that?

Still surprised, Anko answered hesitantly. “… Well, first I want to build up her stamina. I’m having her run around the village as we speak, actually.” Sarutobi nodded, waiting for her to continue. “Next I want to do chakra exercises. She told me that she has yet to walk on water, so I’m going to teach her that. That shouldn’t take too long. Hatake did tell me that the girl had excellent chakra control. After that, I’ll teach her a couple of jutsu. I figure since she’s going up against Uchiha Sasuke that she should know how to get out of genjutsu even if the boy doesn’t know any yet, so that’s also on the agenda. Taijutsu is an absolute must as well. Lastly, I plan to toughen her body up by having her go through drills.” The Hokage nodded again.

“I see… And you plan to do this all on one month?”

Anko shrugged. “Really, sir, I’m not sure. It all depends on the little tyke’s progress.” Sarutobi rubbed his beard. The old man seemed to be deep in thought about something. The kunoichi frowned. The Hokage ceased his humming and reached to pull out one of the drawers of his desk. His hand shuffled around in the drawer for few moments before retrieved what he sought.

The Hokage held a small piece of paper between his index and middle finger. “I want to see what type of affinity the girl has.” He held the paper out to Anko, who took it from him. “You must do this as soon as possible, Anko-san. It is information that I must know.” The purple-haired kunoichi nodded.

“Understood, sir…!” she exclaimed. _“But why…?”_ she questioned in thought.

0-0

“It’s the eye of the tiger! It’s the thrill of the fight!” Mayu said as she lifted the two dumbbells. It has been ten days since she had been under the tutelage of Mitarashi Anko. So far, her training had consisted of running, lifting weights, and jogging in place. Some days, she would lift weights and jog in place at the same time. That way she would get stronger, and her stamina would improve as well. “Rising _up_ to the challenge of our rivals…!”

Anko looked up from reading a scroll. She stared lazily at her student, who now danced around as she sang. “Alright, that’s enough!” The woman’s loud voice reached Mayu’s ears. The young kunoichi turned to her instructor, dropped the dumbbells, and then made her way over.

“Why, Anko-sensei? It’s only mid-day.”

Usually, the older kunoichi had Mayu do those types of exercises until the evening hours, not a few minutes after noon. “Today is going to go a little different. Sit down in front of me.” Mayu quickly followed the woman’s orders. The last time she had tried to disobey—really, she just had been too slow to act—Anko had sent her snakes out. One could hear the screams from several kilometers away. Not a fun experience at all. “To start off, you do know what elemental chakra is, right?” Anko’s question was met with a blank stare. The kunoichi produced a flat look, and then rolled her eyes. “ _Okaaaay_ , never mind that question. I’ll just tell you.” Anko sighed. “And Hatake said that you had brains…” she muttered. Ignoring Mayu’s glare, she continued. “There are five basic types of elemental chakra. They are lightning, earth, wind, fire, and water. Let’s say a ninja has an affinity for lightning—for them, it would be slightly easier to learn lightning based jutsu than a ninja that has an affinity for earth.”

“ _Sooo_ … A ninja that can use lightning based jutsu without a problem would have a problem with earth jutsu but he can still use it?” Anko nodded at the question. “But what if they can pull off more than one element without a problem? Does that make them the _Avatar_?” Anko’s face scrunched up in confusion. Just who the heck was ‘the Avatar?’ The older kunoichi shook her head.

“That rarely happens. On some occasions, though, a ninja might not have an affinity with any element.” Mayu blinked and asked how you could tell which affinity a person could have. Anko smirked. “I’m glad you asked.” The woman pulled out a piece of paper. “I really should have done this a few days ago, but oh well!” She gave the paper to Mayu, who inspected it. Nothing was written. It was blank. “This is how you can tell what type of affinity you have. All you must do is focus your chakra into it. The paper will split for wind, crumble for lightning, turn to dust for earth, burn for fire, and turn wet for water. Give it a shot.”

“ _Hm_ … So, depending on what type I am, that’s going to be the type of jutsu you teach me?” Anko shrugged.

“ _Meh_ …!”

“’ _Meh_ …!’?! What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Just do it already before I punish you for insubordination!”

Mayu ‘eeped’ and focused on the paper. Concentrating, she really hoped her affinity would be something cool. _“Like wind… or water!”_ She forced some chakra into her hand. She instantly felt burning sensation. She yelped loudly and flung the paper away. The paper burned up before it touched the ground. “ _Aww_ …” The girl visibly pouted at the results.

“I suspected as much,” Anko remarked with a smirk. “You did perform that fire jutsu quite nicely. A genin really shouldn’t be able to do that.” Mayu smiled, liking the compliment. Sure, Sasuke had helped her out a bit, but praise was nice.

“So now what?”

“Now… I’m leaving!” Anko chirped with a grin. Her grin grew wider when her student’s face changed into a look of disbelief and annoyance. “You’re going to stay here and continue with your exercises. I’ll be back before ya know it.” The woman turned to go. She almost instantly stopped by an overly excited Mayu, who appeared in front of her. Anko raised an eyebrow. _“That was certainly fast…”_

“Could I have a couple more of those element detectors?!” Mayu asked. The woman rolled her eyes. The girl liked to label things with these weird names. Ten days ago, she was surprised, but now she was used to it.

Anko did not respond for a few seconds. She then shrugged and pulled five pieces of paper from her jacket pocket. “Knock yourself out kid.” The older kunoichi walked around the girl. She chuckled when she heard her pupil whooping in glee. _“Poor kid—she is fascinated by the smallest things.”_

Mayu waited a few moments after Anko left. When she was sure that her sensei was long gone, a smirk spread on her face. “Stay and do exercises? Yeah right!” She quickly gathered the few training items and bounded off. She intended to go into town. _“I wanna see who else has an affinity to the elements!”_

0-0

Yamanaka Ino hummed lightly as she flipped through a fashion magazine. Of course, she did not need something as trivial as long hair. Clothing was different. Different, she would insist if asked. The blonde kunoichi allowed herself the occasional read on fashion. It wasn’t like she needed to read the articles dealing with make-up, though. With a face like hers, who would? _“Okay, that’s just the egotistical girl in me talking…”_ The kunoichi sighed heavily as she closed the magazine. A bell rang, signaling that someone had entered the flower shop. “Welcome…!” she greeted with a cheery fake smile. It was like a routine. Her mother told her to smile as if the customer was your very friend.

“Hey, Ino-chan…!” an excited voice returned. The familiar voice of a real friend caused Ino’s business smile to turn real. “How’s it going?”

“Forehead…! Long time, no see!” She watched her friend’s face twist into a grimace. Even with the girl’s sudden change, she still hated the nickname. Ino chuckled lightly as her friend walked over to the counter. “What’s up?”

“ _Oooh_ …! I really like your hair like that, Ino-chan.” Mayu propped her head up with her hands and elbows, which now rested on the counter. The blond reflexively touched her hair. She smiled lightly. “You’re so pretty.”

“Thanks, Sakura-chan,” she replied, heat rushing to her cheeks. She then cleared her throat and smirked. “I had to cut it again to even it out. I don’t want it to grow uneven like yours.” Of course, her friend barked out a sarcastic laugh. “But I still can’t wait until it gets longer. It feels weird not having hair touching my neck.” Ino took her hand away from rubbing her neck. “So, what brings you here?”

Mayu had a long sigh. “I finally escaped my sensei’s training! She trains me until I can’t breathe sometimes! This is the only breather I’ve gotten since the preliminaries!” The pink-haired kunoichi crossed her arms. Ino stifled an amused snort. “And I don’t even get to see how Naruto and Sasuke are doing with their training. What about you, though? Shouldn’t you be training for your match?” Ino only grinned. “What?”

“Sundays are my day off. My dad and sensei are working me to the bone. Today is my _only_ break time!”

Mayu whistled. “Sucks for you—still working and calling it a break,” she said, causing Ino to glower. “But it’s no wonder… You are going up against Pand—I mean, Gaara-kun.” The blond kunoichi solemnly nodded. Her crestfallen eyes looked down at the counter. “ _Err_ … I’m sure it’s not going to be that bad, Ino-chan…”

“Are you kidding me?!” Ino lifted her chin with a fierce look. “You saw what he did to Lee! Even with this extensive training from my father and Asuma-sensei, I could _die_. That monster could actually-” The blond female did not finish her sentence. Mayu interrupted by slamming her fist against the counter’s top. Ino looked towards her friend. The coldest green eyes stared back at her. The blonde briefly thought her and Sasuke appeared to be getting along too well.

“Gaara is _not_ a monster! If you call him that again, I’ll _cut_ you!” Her voice practically came out as a hiss. Ino unconsciously reared back in. She held up her hands as if surrendering. In response, the kunoichi softened. “ _Uh_ … sorry… But I’m serious. He’s just a confused individual, that’s all.”

“Jeez, my bad…!” Ino put her hands back down. “And how do you know, anyway? He is from the Sand village. What can you possibly know about him?”

Mayu waved the girl’s questions off. “That’s not why I’m here!” she said. Ino frowned, and then crossed her arms. Mayu pulled a brown slip of paper out of her pocket. She held it up for Ino to see. “ _This_ is an element detector!”

The blonde kunoichi narrowed her eyes and gave her a skeptical look. “Really…?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Is that what it’s actually called?”

“Yes, really… Well… maybe… I’m not sure what it’s called, but that’s not really the point!” The young kunoichi waved her arms around frantically as if making a point. Ino rolled her eyes at the girl’s actions. “Here, take it!” Mayu made a move to give it to the blonde. She stared at it for a few moments before taking the small piece of paper. “Push some chakra into your hand.”

“Why?”

“Cuz I said so, damn it!”

“Who do you think you’re talking to?!”

“Yamanaka Ino! Who else is here?!”

“What’d you say?!”

“You heard me!”

“INO! NO YELLING AT CUSTOMERS!”

The blonde glowered, and then sighed heavily. It was another thing her mom always told her. She couldn’t help it if some of the customers were idiots. Blue eyes seemed to sneer at the girl in front of her. She grinned smugly as if she had won the entire argument. “Whatever…” Ino muttered, forcing some chakra in her hand. The Yamanaka kunoichi blinked in surprise as the paper turned to dirt before her very eyes. “What the heck, Sakura-chan?! Is this some sorta prank?! You’ve been hanging with Naruto too long!” Ino dropped down to reach for a small brush and dustpan. She stood and began to sweep up the dust that had fallen to the counter.

“Wasn’t expecting that,” Mayu commented.

“Expecting what?” Ino asked as she moved over to the trashcan. She dumped the dust and walked back over to the counter. Her father had moved the small bin away from the counter, telling her that it was ‘another method of training.’ Another method, _my_ _ass_ , Ino had thought at the time. It was just another way to torture. _“I never should have won my match…”_ Ino thought with a sigh.

“… hear me?” The girl’s head snapped to attention.

“Huh? What did you say?”

“I said that you have an affinity with earth,” Mayu answered with a frown. Ino gave her a blank look. “It means you can master earth jutsu quicker than others.” The blond kunoichi blinked. “My affinity is fire. That actually makes sense now that I think about it. You should try learning some earth jutsu for your upcoming match.”

“I don’t understand but okay…”

“Alright _-tee_ then…! Well, I better get going! I still have to see someone! See ya, Ino-chan!” Mayu turned to go.

“Hold on a second…!” Ino called out. The pink-haired girl turned back around. “Buy something before you go.”

“What? Why should I?”

“You shouldn’t come into a store without buying something, ya know? Besides, don’t you want to buy a flower for Lee? You like him, don’t you? You know… he might never… be a ninja again, right?” Ino tried to persuade the girl. Green eyes looked to the floor as Mayu thought about the green-clad ninja. Ino was surprised to see a smile appear on her friend’s face. “Well, are you gonna buy a flower or not?”

Mayu waved as she walked towards the door. “Don’t _even_ have the money for it! I’ll come back for it later, though!” With that said, the kunoichi walked out of the door. Ino sighed heavily. Her friend sure was weird nowadays. Blue eyes looked up at the ceiling in thought.

_“Earth jutsu, eh…?”_

0-0

Hyuga Hinata toddled through the town. Her target was the village’s hospital. Her cousin, Hyuga Neji, remained there as a precaution from his match. He had been released from extensive care just yesterday. Akimichi Chouji had certainly caused a great deal of damage to his body. Today was the first day that Neji could have visitors. She would have gone first thing—Neji was her cousin, after all—but due to her father had finding out about the details of her fight in the preliminaries, he decided to train her morning, noon, and night. The Hyuga was still surprised her father had given her the day off. Hinata, though, suspected that Hanabi complained about the lack of training.

Suddenly, a blur of pink and red raced pass the Hyuga. With her free hand, the Hyuga pushed her hair out of her eyes. She recognized that blur. “S-Sakura-chan…?!” she called out. She wondered if the girl had been running away from a bee again. Once, while the two girls had sparred together, only to stop because a bumblebee had flown too close. Their training session had been over for the day.

Mayu came to a screeching stop. She turned to see a friendly Hyuga approaching her. “ _Ah_ , Hinata-chan…! Just the person I wanted to see!” Mayu grinned. “I was actually looking for you at our training spot, but I couldn’t find you, so I was on my way to your favorite places to eat.”

Hinata smiled as she stopped in front of the girl. Recently, it had been quite a pleasure to greet the pink-haired kunoichi. Back in the Academy, there had not been much conversation. Hinata recalled a time where her fellow classmate warned her to stay away from Uchiha Sasuke. That might have been the only one-sided conversation in fact. This changed Haruno was nice. “Why were you running? Did a bee fly too close?” Hinata asked.

“Hinata-chan…! That sounded like cheek to me!” Mayu observed, sounding scandalized. Hinata flushed, mildly embarrassed. She began to stammer out an apology, but her friend only giggled. “So cute…!” she remarked with a sweet smile. Hinata only felt the heat in her cheeks increase. “But anyway, I wanted to—hey, why do you have those balloons?”

“Oh, I’m going to visit Neji-san.”

“Ah, that explains why I couldn’t find you right away…” Mayu muttered. Then she winced, obviously recalling the last time she had seen Neji. “Still in the hospital, huh? Maybe that will teach him not to call Chouji fat ass, ne? He will probably pop those balloons.”

“Sakura-chan…!” Hinata scolded lightly. Mayu only shrugged. “So, what is it that you wanted to see me for?” The pink-haired girl grinned again, and then dug into her pocket. She pulled out a brown piece of paper and handed to the Hyuga. Hinata only looked at it in confusion. “What is this?”

“This is an element detector! Push some chakra into it and it will tell you your natural affinity. Mine was fire!”

“You sure do sound excited, Sakura-chan.”

“What can I say? The smallest things entertain me!”

Hinata nodded, and then focused her eyes on the paper. The paper turned wet and went limp in her hand. “Does this mean… my natural affinity is water?” The Hyuga supposed it made sense. She had worked with water before. In fact, that is how she finally mastered the _Protective Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms_ technique. It was a technique of her own creation and water had aided her with its development.

“Cool, Hinata-chan…! That means you are better suited to learning water style jutsu. That’s so awesome!”

“Yes, well… Thank you.”

“Hey, before I found you, I went home and got some money. I was going to buy a flower for Lee-san,” Mayu stated. “How about you come with me to buy the flower, and then we’ll both go to the hospital together?”

“That sounds fine,” Hinata agreed.

“Alright, let’s go!” Mayu hooked her arm with Hinata’s. The pink-haired kunoichi practically dragged the Hyuga down the street in the opposite direction of where they had been going. “I can’t wait to visit Lee-san!”

“How has training been going for you?” Hinata asked as the two girls walked.

“Hectic,” Mayu sighed out. “How about you…?”

“Well, since Shino-kun was the only one who made it to the finals, Kurenai-sensei is focused on training him. Kiba-kun is helping, I hear. My father is training me. It is… tough… and surprising but I manage. Today, he gave me the day off.”

“Everyone seems to get the day off but me…!” Mayu complained. “Anko-sensei has never heard of relief!”

“ _Ah_ … _Um_ … What about Naru-Naruto-kun? How is h-h-his tr-training going?” A blush appeared on the Hyuga’s face as she spoke. Mayu grinned at Hinata with such mischievous intent. Hinata shrank in on herself, realizing she had given the girl ammunition. She should have never brought up her long-time crush in the presence of his impish teammate. The pink-haired ninja called it _NaruHina_. Combining their names together. How embarrassing. Yet… a nice thought as well. “N-Not that I-I-”

“ _Hohohoho_ …!” Mayu laughed obnoxiously. Hinata almost rolled her eyes. “Is lil Hinata-chan finally taking the initiative in the _NaruHina_ plot?” A brilliant shade of red settled on the Hyuga’s cheeks.

“I-I was… I was just as-asking…! It—It was me-merely a question!” Hinata tried to protest, but Mayu heard none of that. She, again, laughed loudly, most likely drawing attention to them. “Sakura-chan…!”

“Sounds to me like you want some of Naruto’s good lovin’…! Naughty, naughty, Hinata-chan!” Mayu teased. “Tell the truth! You actually like my take on the _Sexy Justu_ , didn’t you? Would you like me to use it during our spars? For _practice_?”

“It was just a question…!” Hinata squeaked in a slightly louder voice. Mayu only snickered. “I do wish you would not do this to me. I do not think I can take much more…”

“Relax, Hinata-chan! I’m just messing… sorta.” The pink-haired kunoichi quickened her pace, causing the Hyuga to do the same. They had reached their destination. “Hey, Ino-chan! I’m back…!” she drawled.

“Oh, _goody_ …!” Ino said not sounding very impressed. “I see you’ve brought someone…”

“Yeah, this is Hinata, as you already know,” Mayu introduced. She began looking around at the wide variety of flowers. Ino nodded her head as her blue eyes examined the Hyuga. Hinata shifted uncomfortably under the blonde kunoichi’s gaze. “Whoa, these flowers are all so pretty…” she mused as she examined the variety.

“I never knew you were so strong, Hinata. You were always so quiet back in the Academy.” Ino walked from behind the counter. She moved over to the two girls. “Your match with Sakura was quite surprising.”

“Puh- _leaze_ …! It’s usually the quiet ones you have to look out for. They’re _dangerous_!” Mayu commented. She squatted down to get a better look at a pink flower. Hinata blushed in embarrassment and tried to scold Mayu. Her attempt was ignored. “ _Oooh_ …! This one’s cute! I think I’m going to get it for Lee-san.” Ino curiously walked over to her pink-haired friend.

“ _Ah_ , the purple Iris flower…” Ino mused. “It symbolizes inspiration.”

“Really…? Then it’s perfect for Lee-san! I’ll take one of those!”

“Alright.” Ino slid open the glass door and pulled out a single Iris. “What about you, Hinata? Are you buying flowers? I notice that you already have balloons. Visiting your cousin?”

Hinata nodded her head. “Today is the first day he is allowed visitors.” The Hyuga walked over to the two girls and looked at the flowers behind the glass casing. “I would like to get a flower that means… good luck or get well soon. Maybe you have something like that?” Ino smirked.

“As it turns out, we do. It’s called the Yarrow flower and it means good health. Would you like that?”

“Yes, please.”

“Wait, wait…! If it’s something for Neji, then it should mean something like… egotistical or melodramatic. It is Hyuga Neji we’re talking about, right?” Mayu stood as Ino began laughing.

“I’ve only talked to him for a moment, but that was definitely the impression I got from him.” The two girls giggled, while Hinata stood idly by, attempting to hide a smile. “Hey, how about an Amaryllis flower? It means dramatic. The petals are bright red with white on its inner petals.”

“That would be fine.” Hinata nodded in agreement. Ino’s hand closed the glass case. She informed them the Amaryllis flowers were kept elsewhere before leaving to retrieve one. Hinata and Mayu walked over to the counter and waited for the blonde to return. “Sakura-chan… You never did answer me about your teammates’ training.”

“You asked about Naruto, not Sasuke,” Mayu corrected, batting her eyelashes. Hinata pursed her lips and fought to keep from blushing. It did not work. “And anyway, I don’t really know how their training is coming along. Kakashi-sensei split us up. We have different sensei to train us for the finals now.”

“Oh, I suppose that makes sense.”

“I’m back… Are these together or separate?” Ino asked, placing the two flowers in small clear bags. Mayu told her to ring them up together. Before Hinata could protest, however, Mayu gave the money to Ino. “Thank you for shopping with us!” Ino chirped, handing the flowers off.

“Sakura-chan…” Hinata began, voice mildly disapproving.

“Take it easy, Hinata-chan. You did already buy balloons for that ingrate.” Mayu waved off the squeaks of disapproval. “Don’t spend any more money on him if you don’t have to.”

“Hold on a minute…! I’m coming, too,” Ino stated took off her yellow apron.

“Why?”

“I just got word that Chouji’s in the hospital because he ate too much barbeque, and then started training right after. He got cramps so bad that he can’t even move!”

“I guess Chouji is actually serious about the finals,” Mayu remarked with a shake of her head.

Ino walked behind the counter. “You have no idea… Shikamaru just thinks the whole thing is troublesome, though.” The blonde turned her head slightly. “MOM! I’M GOING OUT WITH SOME FRIENDS!” The responding approval was just as loud. “Okay, let’s go visit our stupid male counterparts.” Mayu and Hinata chuckled lightly at Ino’s comment.

0-0

Rock Lee cracked open an eye. For a moment, he only stared up at the ceiling. It had been yet another dreamless slumber. He heaved an inaudible sigh and turned his head. He was surprised to see a purple flower near his bed. A clear vase with water held the single flower. His eyes widened a fraction. Someone had been here while he slept. Although youthful, his sensei would not have stopped at one single flower. Most likely, there would be flowers, decorations, and balloons around the room if it had been Gai-sensei. Perhaps Tenten...? Lee shook his head. His teammate was still licking her own wounds from her battle against the Sand kunoichi. _“Then who…?”_

The taijutsu user suddenly heard the door to his room open. He slowly turned his head towards the entrance of his room. His dark eyes gradually grew wide in shock. There she was. A green-eyed goddess had come to visit him. “ _Ah_ , Lee-san…! You’re up! I thought I wouldn’t get to talk to you.” Was this a dream? Had Haruno Sakura really came to see him? She boldly sat on the edge of his bed and smiled. “How are you feeling?”

Lee sat up, albeit slowly. He was surprised that the girl did not say anything about his actions. Usually, the nurses would scold him if he tried to move a muscle. “Sak-Sakura-san…? Wh-What are you… do-doing here?” His throat was dry and sore. He had not said anything since his admittance to the hospital, after all. The pink-haired kunoichi quickly handed the older shinobi a glass of water. “Tha-Thank you…” He gulped down the water. After finishing, Lee repeated his question.

“What type of friend would I be if I didn’t come visit you, huh, Lee-san?” She took the cup away from him and placed it on the table, next to the flower. “Did you see? I brought that in for you. It’s called an Iris. It means inspiration.”

“Inspiration…?” Lee repeated, dumbly.

The girl turned her gaze elsewhere. “Yeah, you inspire me, Lee. Even with this minor setback, I know that you continue to inspire me for years to come… as a great ninja of the Leaf.” She turned back to him, smiling. "I believe in you, Lee-san."

“But Sakura-”

“ _Chu_ …!”

Sakura’s lips once again lightly touched Lee’s cheek. She grinned at his awestruck expression. “Like I said, it’s only a minor setback.” The girl stood from the bed. “Get better soon, Lee-san. I want you to see me fight Sasuke! My teammate also wants a rematch with you.” She walked towards the door. “Drama queen that he is wants you to thrash him again. I’m pretty sure he’s a glutton for punishment.”

“Wait Sakura-san…!” The girl stopped. He had raised his voice. “Why is it that you… are inspired by me? The doctors told me that… I’d never be a-” The kunoichi’s sudden movement of her arm interrupted his sentence. His dark eyes expanded when he saw her thumb up. Without turning to face the taijutsu-user, she spoke.

“Because _only_ Rock Lee has what it takes to make it through this ordeal! And for that, I’ll always admire you!” The girl dropped her arm. “I have to go now, though. Hinata-chan and Ino-chan are probably waiting for me down in the lobby. See ya.” She quickly moved towards the door. Without another word, Haruno Sakura disappeared from Lee’s eyesight.

A smile slowly spread across his face. He looked towards the Iris again. It was ironic. She came to him and said that he encouraged her. But in the end, it had been she who had caused a smile to appear on the taijutsu-user’s face. Lee slowly closed his eyes in content. “Inspiration…” he muttered to himself.

0-0

“Where have you been?!” Ino placed her hands on her hips after she had stood from her seated position. Mayu waved off her half-glare. “It doesn’t take that long to deliver one flower. The sun is already setting for crying out loud!”

“I just got caught up waiting for Lee-san to wake up! You know I had to dodge and hide from nurses who kept telling me that my time was up! That was not fun! I swear these nurses are like vultures sometimes.” A couple of nurses, who had heard, scowled at the kunoichi. “So, let’s get going! Anko-sensei’s gonna—hey, what’s wrong, Hinata-chan?” The pink-haired kunoichi had just noticed the downcast look the Hyuga had been sporting.

Hinata’s head snapped up. A discomfited looked crossed the girl’s features. She shook her head. “It’s nothing, really…” Mayu gave her a dubious look. Ino sighed, and then rolled her eyes. “Really, I’m fine.”

“Her dear cousin was being mean to her,” Ino informed, flatly.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Hinata stood up and waved her arms around in frantic motions, silently begging Ino to shut up. “He was not…! He was just… dis-disgruntled about his current position, that’s all.” The blond kunoichi scoffed. “Ino-san, please…!”

“He popped the balloons and threw the flower outta the window! Not to mention he said some pretty mean things. I personally wanted to kick his ass for it!” Ino answered, ignoring her fellow kunoichi. “Who does he think he is?! Does Sasuke-kun really want to date a person like that?!”

“Sasuke is mostly indifferent,” Mayu assured her. “It’s _Neji_ that wants to date him.”

“Well, he needs to fix his attitude!” Ino sneered. “If it were my teammate he was after, I’d fix it for him!”

“Ino-chan, you’re so cool!” Mayu gushed. “But I’m tired. Let’s fix Hinata’s cousin later on.” She began walking towards the entrance of the hospital. “Anko-sensei is probably pissed because I’m not where I’m supposed to be.” Ino shrugged, and then went after her friend. Hinata, hesitantly, did the same.

**The next time I see that fate-loving freak, he’s dead!**

Minutes later, the three girls walked through the streets of town. They talked about random things as they walked. Clothes, weapons, missions, and hair accessories were just some of the subjects that came up. Needless to say, Ino became a top supporter of the _NaruHina_ movement. When the Hyuga finally left the two giggling girls, she was blushing mad.

“I can hardly believe it…!” Ino continued to laugh even though Hinata had left a while ago. “Naruto, the dunce and Hinata, the meek little mouse!” She sighed dreamily. “They’d be so cute together. Imagine what their kids are gonna look like!”

“Ino-chan, I knew I could count on you to think like me!” Mayu said, grinning. Then she looked up. Her eyes went wide in realization. “Oh no! It’s dark!” she grumbled.

“So…?” Ino shrugged.

“ _So_! I’m really gonna die by the hands of my enraged sensei! And I forgot to see what type of affinity Lee-san and the others have…! This is so not super, special, awesome!” Mayu complained loudly. Ino only shook her head with a smile on her face. Her friend was obviously crazy in the head. “Whoa my god…!” Ino suddenly found her arm constricted in Mayu’s grip.

“What…?!” she grumbled, both annoyed and pained. The pink-haired girl had a vice grip. Mayu pointed a shaky finger towards a dark alley.

Ino’s blue eyes squinted over to the darkness of the alleyway. She could distinctively see movement. Suddenly, cold seafoam eyes flashed in the darkness, causing Ino’s heartbeat to quicken. Small bumps emerged on her skin as the wind sudden picked up. It made her shiver. The girl beside her, however, squealed in delight. “Did you see that?!” she asked, enthusiastically. “That was him…! That was Gaara-kun!”

Ino’s blood ran cold within her body. Those unfriendly eyes belonged to her opponent. Not even Uchiha Sasuke’s eyes had been that… _acidic_. The blond kunoichi shook her head to get rid of the feeling of dread. “Wh-Why do you sound excited about it?” Ino began to walk in the other direction but stopped when she realized that Mayu had yet to let go of her arm. She had also realized that her friend stayed rooted to the spot.

“Let’s go see ‘em!”

“Have you truly gone insane?! I’m not going anywhere near him! Not more than I have to!” Ino finally yanked her arm free. “ _What_ is your fascination with this guy?!”

Mayu stared at her as if she just said someone stole the last of the cookies. The blond kunoichi could practically see the tears welling up in her eyes. “So, you would rather let me go alone and not be heard from again the next morning?” she asked. “Do you really want that on your conscious? You’re such a mean friend, Ino-chan!” With that last note, Mayu dashed towards the alley. Ino swore under her breath and stomped her foot as she watched her friend disappear.

“I’m not going after her…! I won’t! She’s crazy, but _I_ have a brain!”

She stayed in that place for a few more moments. The pink-haired girl had yet to return. _“Damn it…!”_ The blonde rushed towards the alley. It wasn’t long before she spotted her friend. She moved her head around as if searching for something. Ino’s own blue eyes looked around warily. So far, there was not one sign of the sand-user. For that, the blonde kunoichi felt relieved. “See… There is _no one_ here! We were both imagining things! Can we _go_ now?”

“To the roofs…!” Mayu exclaimed, and then jumped up. Ino sighed heavily, and then followed her fellow kunoichi. She almost missed the shy girl that her friend used to be. On top of the nearby building, the two girls’ eyes searched for the frightful looking shinobi. Mayu suddenly released another squeal, but this time it was much more controlled. “There he is…!”

Ino swallowed hard. She was almost afraid to look. She slowly turned her head in the direction that Mayu—rudely—pointed her finger. The Yamanaka almost breathed a sigh of relief. Her opponent for the finals, Gaara, had his back to them. Plus, there was the bonus of him being two buildings away. Judging from the angle of his head, Ino guess that he focused on the moonless sky. “Good thing he doesn’t notice us, right, Sakura?” There was no answer. “S-Sa-Sakura…?!” Her stupid friend had left her side and now made her way over to the shinobi. Ino tugged her shortened hair in frustration, and then took off after her.

It did not take long before both girls’ feet touched down on the building where Gaara sat. The red head did not seem taken by surprise at the girls’ presence. He did not make a move to turn and greet them either. Perhaps, they could just leave since he wasn’t going to acknowledge them… Mayu cleared her throat. _“No such luck…”_ Ino sighed inaudibly.

“Hey there, Gaara-kun…! Do you… remember me?” The voice sounded cute and dream-like. Her tone made Ino roll her eyes. She used to use that voice whenever she—tried—to talk to Sasuke. Blue eyes enlarged as the sudden thought hit her. Her friend couldn’t possibly _like_ this guy, could she?!

“Haruno…” a gruff response was heard, causing Ino to focus.

“You r _emembered_ …! Sorta…” Mayu almost seemed disappointed.

“What do you want?”

“I want…” Mayu took a step forward.

“Sakura…!” Ino hissed her name in a warning.

“I want to be your friend.”

“ _Friend_ …?”

Ino stopped glaring at her stupid friend. She slowly turned to the red head. He had a look of confusion on his face. It seemed he had never even heard of the word. The Yamanaka heard her friend gasp in a dramatic way. “Yes, I want to be your friend. It is a person who you can… talk to. Ino, here, and I are friends. We aren’t just comrades or allies.” Light green eyes shifted over to the blond, who involuntarily froze. She tried to look away, but her body seriously would not move. How could her friend ever like someone with such piercing eyes? Ino’s body trembled under his hawkish stare.

“Why…?” he asked. He did not remove his eyes from Ino’s frightened form. “Why would you want to be my… _friend_?” The blond almost felt guilty. It sounded as if the red head had never said the word either.

“Because… it looks like you need it—a friend, I mean. Everyone could use a friend or two, right?” Mayu grinned big. She moved forward again. She was a mere meter away from the Sand ninja. “How about it?”

“Sa… ku… ra…” Ino whispered, terrified that she would witness death. Gaara still had not taken his eyes off the blonde, though. He was… studying his next opponent, she realized. Finally, his light green eyes moved to Mayu. Ino stopped herself from sighing. After all, they were not out of danger yet.

Mayu had held her hand out, wanting him to shake it. The red head only looked at it in bewilderment. “You’re supposed to shake it… like this.” Mayu grabbed her own hand and shook it to show Gaara how it was done. If the kid had eyebrows, they would be knitted together. He suddenly grabbed his own hand and shook. Ino’s mouth dropped open. Gaara looked towards Mayu’s hands to see if he was still doing it right.

_“… That… was sorta… cute…”_

“No, no, no, Gaara-kun…! You’re supposed to shake my hand.” Mayu boldly grabbed his hand and shook it. “Put ‘er there, pal!” As their connected hands went up and down in the air, Gaara continued to stare wide-eyed at the girl. “ _Eheh_ …” She chuckled a bit, releasing her grip on his hand. “Sorry about the culture shock.”

“Sakura…! Can we go now? I’m not supposed to be up this late!” Ino lied. This whole scene seemed unnatural to her eyes. And what had she meant by culture shock? Mayu turned her head in the blonde kunoichi’s direction. “Let’s go!”

“Yeah, in a second.” She turned back to Gaara and dropped down on one knee. Her arms wrapped around him and squeezed him tight. Her stupid friend was hugging the Sand shinobi. Ino nearly foamed at the mouth, terrified this could be the end of Haruno Sakura. Gaara froze, expression twisting in confusion and shock.

 _“She has lost her mind…!”_ Ino’s hands grabbed her cheeks and waited for the blood. Luckily, it never came. The Yamanaka supposed that Gaara had been too stunned by the outlandish actions. Mayu slipped her arms from the shinobi and stood up. Even from this angle, Ino could tell her friend grinned happily. _“Sakura! What the hell are you thinking?!”_ Her friend moved closer and closer back to Ino’s side.

“You’re… different…” Gaara bowed his head as if contemplating.

Mayu had yet to lose her grin. “Yeah, sometimes being different is the greatest thing a person can do! It’s hard sometimes because, unfortunately, most people fear what they don’t understand.” She smiled sadly at this. “But it’s up to the friends of that person to get people to start understanding.” Mayu nodded her head, satisfied about what she had said. “Well, we better get going! I’ll see you at the finals, Gaara-kun.” Mayu jumped off the roof, calling for Ino on the way down.

She ran off into the night, not seeing if her friend had followed. After all, she was in a hurry. Her sensei really was going to maim her. Hopefully, the blonde didn’t stick around.

However, Yamanaka Ino stayed rooted to the spot. She stared at Gaara for a little while longer. “My friend is an idiot, obviously… But if you even think about hurting her, I’ll-” Light green eyes dispassionately stared the blonde. She did not finish her sentence. The kunoichi grit her teeth, forcing herself not to back down.

“Come on…” A sinister smirk spread. Ino swallowed hard. “Aren’t you going to finish your threat, girl?”

“I don’t really think I have to,” she retorted, narrowing her eyes. “I didn’t take you for an idiot.”

Sand swirled around the red head. Ino’s eyes grew wide, realizing that she might have gone too far. Gaara looked away, completely aloof. “You’re pathetic. I can sense your fear. Your whole body is shaking from just one look. You’re a waste of my time. I should kill you now, so more of my time won’t be wasted.” The sand slowly inched towards the blond. Now, Yamanaka Ino was never the type of girl to let a guy intimidate her, but… Perhaps, she could make an exception this time? Even with her impending doom approaching, she still let a smirk spread. Noticing the smirk playing on her lips, Gaara frowned. The sand ceased its movement. “Why… are you looking that way?”

“… I… know… your… weakness,” Ino said, deliberately slow.

“You lie.” Gaara narrowed his eyes. “I have no weakness.”

“You don’t even realize you have it,” Ino observed. She narrowed her eyes, smirk remaining. “And now… I’ve gotten your curiosity, right? You won’t kill me now because you’re curious to see if I _do_ know your weakness. Believe me, I do… I don’t think I can pull it off as I am right now, though, so you’re just going to have to wait to the finals to… _kill_ me. If you can.” Before Gaara could respond, Ino jumped from the roof to the safety of the streets below.

“ _Hm_ … Interesting prey…”

0-0

Mayu blindly raced through the forest, trying to find the training spot that her sensei, Mitarashi Anko, had picked out. The girl silently prayed that her teacher had not come back from whatever. But with her luck, the possibility was slim. Mayu had gotten so caught up in talking to her friends that she completely disregarded the time. Her teacher was not much of a saint, so trouble would most likely ensue.

“I am so gonna get punished…” Mayu slowed her run to a fast-paced walk. The training site was nearby now. It was time to face the music. Mayu slowly walked into the clearing. There was no sign of Anko. The young kunoichi could not detect a single presence. Mayu breathed out a sigh of relief. “Safe…!” she exclaimed, spreading both arms out. However, a sudden tingling down her spine caused the girl to stiffen.

“Care to repeat that, maggot?” an angry voice hissed. A hand clamped down on the girl’s shoulder. Mayu could easily tell that Anko was pissed all based on the strength behind her clenching hand. The girl refused to cry out in pain no matter how much it hurt.

“ _D’oh_ …!” she said, ducking her head.

“Where the hell have you been all day…?! I returned here hours ago, just to find you missing!” Anko supplied no sympathy for the girl’s whimpers. “I immediately thought that Orochimaru had come for you! You little moron!”

“I apologize for my insolence!” Mayu squeaked. The older female finally released the girl. “I was just—I wanted to see what type of affinities my friends had. Please, Anko-sensei…! Have _mercy_!” The young genin turned and bowed her head low. Anko scoffed at her actions.

“Yes, I know you were so innocently gallivanting around the village,” Anko stated, crossing her arms. “It still doesn’t make me any less angry.” Mayu fell to her knees and pressed her head against the forest floor. The older kunoichi merely scoffed. “There is no need for the groveling. Tomorrow morning, we’ll start the intense training. I was going to wait, but since you’re made me angry, we’re starting earlier!” Mayu lifted her head to discover a most devious smile on her teacher’s face. She paled in fear. “But right now, Hokage-sama wanted me to give you this.” She pulled a scroll from her trench coat’s pocket. “While you are being trained by me, you are also going to have to learn the jutsu in this scroll.”

Mayu caught the scroll in her hands and blinked in surprise. Perplexed, she wondered why the Hokage wanted her to learn whatever jutsu. Hm. Unrolling the scroll, her green eyes scanned the words it contained. “ _Tsukeru_ …?” she muttered, blinking. Names had been written also. The names were transparent under dried blood. Mayu took a guess and decided that the ‘blood names’ were from people who had mastered the jutsu so far. It was weird, though… Out of all the names, none of them had put their surname down. The girl shrugged. She supposed that was the way to do it. The last name covered in blood was _Morino_. “What type of jutsu is this? To put on… seems kinda vague, Anko-sensei. _What_ am I putting on?”

“I don’t have a clue, but the Hokage is interested in knowing if you can master it.” Anko shrugged. “It must be hard. Too bad _my_ training is going to be much harder from now on!” Mayu averted her eyes and tried not to think about what the brash woman had in store for her. She wrapped the scroll back up and pocketed it. “Meet me here at 4:00 in the morning. If you’re even one minute late, I will make you run laps and fight off ten snakes.” Mayu shuddered. “Dismissed…!” Anko grinned.

The young kunoichi mentally cried a river.

0-0


	19. The Real Slim Shady

Ishikari Chinoutori nearly dragged his feet down the hall. He was in the hospital again. It was normal to be here nowadays. Day by day of coming to this place was slowly wearing him down. His daughter, Ishikari Mayu, had yet to waken from comatose. It had been several months since she ran into that car. Several long months since the girl had opened her blue eyes. He missed his daughter so much. The sound of her laughter, the smile normally plastered on her face—he missed everything about his one and only daughter.

 _“Daughter…”_ The man sighed too softly to be heard. He would always love Mayu like she was his own. However, he knew the truth. He had known from the start… His daughter had been found shrouded by death at the age of nine. She had no memories whatsoever, beside her name. Back then, DNA tests confirmed her blood. She was family, and yet… A new life born from death… The girl, his not-daughter, had been a part of family legend. Appearing in the same way as their ancestors.

A child being discovered with the dead… An Ishikari free of another’s blood—free of _the eyes_ … A child of legend… It could not be her, and yet all the facts gathered pointed to it. A child would appear, only to disappear in the near future. As it turned out, newly married Ishikari Chinoutori and Ishikari Sheena grew fond of the little girl and decided to call her theirs.

With a blank mind, it was easy to convince the child that she was the daughter of the two Ishikari. His brothers had not liked it. Neither had his parents. But they could not just leave her there. Chinoutori had been a rebel since birth, anyway. What was one more act of rebellion? Besides, two years after the girl had been found, she had yet to disappear. Chinoutori had convinced the rest of the family that Mayu had not been the child of legend. And she wasn’t. He also convinced himself of this.

Chinoutori chuckled mirthlessly. He had been as foolish and pig-headed in his youth. Over the years, he had watched Mayu grow, and he had become attached to her. A stupid thing to do, given the circumstances of her _birth_. Chinoutori clenched fingers into a fist as he continued walking down the hallway. His wife would be in soon to check on Mayu. He had to appear as if everything was okay. Their daughter would wake up soon and they could all go back to living happily with each other.

The man placed his hand on the metal bar and opened the door to the room. In his other hand was a fresh bouquet of flowers. The other bouquet had withered and died a few weeks back, so it was time to bring in the new ones. Hopefully, Mayu would wake up to the smell of her favorite flowers. Chinoutori stepped into the room. He sighed again as he closed the door behind him. Without looking towards the bed, he greeted his daughter with false cheer. “Good afternoon, Mayu-chan…! Feel better soon, alright?” He finally turned his head towards the bed, only to find that Ishikari Mayu no longer lied in the bed. Only the indention of where her body once laid indicated a body had been there. _“Calm down, calm down, calm down, calm down…!”_ It ran like a chant through his head. His breathing became unsteady as he stared at the empty bed. His daughter had…

No, she could be up and walking around. Mayu tended to seek out activities—not stay in one place. She probably only left the room in a state of boredom, searching for something to do. Chinoutori turned and moved towards the door, intending to alert a doctor or a nurse. However, he hesitated, a thought crossing his mind. “What if…” he murmured to himself. His body trembled at the possibility. He pinched his eyes shut, trying to concentrate. He slowly turned his enhanced gaze on the bed again. With his eyes he saw the unusual large amount of chakra surrounding the bed. “No…!” He breathed out. The man fell to his knees. “Not her…! Not my daughter!” But no matter his pleas, he knew the truth.

Ishikari Mayu had returned from whence she came.

0-0

In the middle of a grassy field lied a lone body. Upon closer inspection, the ANBU realized the gender. A young girl dressed in patient garb. The cat-masked kunoichi leaned in closer to the child. Her dark hair flowed around face and pooled around her head. The brown skin seemed unnatural as though the girl had not seen the sun in months. She was too skinny as well. “Perhaps this girl ran away from the hospital and became exhausted.” The woman knelt to pick up the girl.

Another ANBU operative jumped down beside her. “Komachi, what did you find?” he questioned. Komachi turned to face her comrade, who wore a bird mask to hide his identity. The man looked down at the ground. “A kid…? From the hospital…? What’s she doing way out here?”

“I’m not sure, Towa…” The woman faced the child again. She picked up the girl. “She has no injuries that I can see, and she is not dead either.”

“I should report this to Lord Hokage,” Towa said. Komachi nodded in agreement. “You take the child back to the hospital.”

_Ba-Bump… Ba-Bump… Ba-Bump_

“I think she’s about to wake up! I can feel her heart rate increasing.” Komachi’s voice caused Towa to halt his jump. The woman set the girl back on the ground. The two ANBU operatives stared intensely at the girl’s closed eyes. For a few quiet moments, the girl did not move. “I guess… she’s not-”

The girl’s eyelids suddenly shot open, revealing blue eyes. The girl sat up coughing and looking hysterical. “Sas-Sasuke-kun, of course I’ll marry you…!” she choked out. Behind their masks, the two ANBU operatives looked incredulous. Sweat drops slide down the back of their heads as the girl fell back again. “O-Oh… Sasuke-kun…”

“Hey…!” Towa’s voice caused the girl to sit up again. She stared at the two for a moment. “Why are-” The girl screamed bloody murder. “ _Ahh_ …! Shut her up, Komachi!” The cat-masked female nodded. The woman put both hands on the girl’s shoulders. Unceremoniously, she began to shake the girl harshly until the screaming stopped. She released the girl, who fell back again in exhaustion. “Not what I meant, but okay…” Towa muttered.

“Little girl-” Komachi ignored her comrade. Blue eyes wearily turned to the female. “Why are you here?”

“You’re… You’re in ANBU, aren’t you?”

“Answer the question, girl!” Towa sounded slightly irritated.

“Why are _you_ here?! This is my room in case you haven’t noticed!” The girl glared at the two, convinced that they had broken in.

“In case _you_ haven’t noticed, we’re outside!” Komachi retorted. Kids today had not an ounce of respect for their elders. The girl begrudgingly looked around and noticed that they were right. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Uchi-” The girl huffed. “I mean, my name is Haruno Sakura.”

0-0

Mayu panted heavily. Sweat ran down her skin. She felt it drench her clothes. Her eyesight blurred as well. Exhaustion. It was something she had become used to as the month dragged on. Even so, she sank into a defensive stance, waiting for her sensei to come at her yet again. _“Aw man… Anko-sensei is mad again today.”_ Mayu’s knees trembled and threatened to buckle underneath her. Over the training period, Mayu had come to discover that the intensity of the training varied, depending on Anko’s mood.

“Oi…! What’s the matter with you? You look like you’re gonna pass out at any second!” Anko’s voice called over the young kunoichi.

“Maybe because I am…!” she retorted through clenched teeth.

“You think Uchiha Sasuke’s gonna take it easy on you just because you look pathetic, huh?!” Anko yelled across the field. The woman dashed towards Mayu with two kunai in each hand. “He’ll pity you like this, you know!”

“He won’t have to!” With newfound vigor, the young ninja raced towards her sensei. Anko smirked, and then threw two of the kunai. Without slowing, Mayu moved from side to side to dodge the deadly weapons. Again, the older kunoichi threw two kunai. Mayu reached into her pouch. She pulled out three shuriken and threw them towards the oncoming kunai. The weapons collided, but the third shuriken continued to whizz towards Anko.

Without stopping her dash, the older kunoichi formed hand seals. “ **Striking Snake Jutsu**!” Multiple snakes shot out of her sleeve. One of the snakes took the hit of the shuriken while the others loomed closer to Mayu who had not stopped. The girl shuddered lightly, and then took to the air. The brown snakes only followed her. Again, the girl pulled out shuriken, one for each snake head. She knew them down, pinning the snakes to the ground. One snake, however, evaded the shuriken and succeeded in wrapping its body around Mayu. “ **Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu**!”

Green eyes grew wide. _“She’s trying to kill me…!”_ Mayu dug deep into her weapon’s pouch and pulled out a kunai. She quickly slashed at the snake’s body as the flames moved closer. Mayu flung her body back to avoid the flames that had shot past not a moment after she had gotten out of the way. She fell towards the ground. As she passed her teacher, she threw more kunai and shuriken at her. Anko twisted her body, successfully eluding the weapons.

The two kunoichi dropped to the ground, both panting. Ashes fell to the ground all around them as well. “I’m… surprised… you didn’t… use any… jutsu…” Anko breathed heavily.

“That’s because… you… said… not to…” Mayu wheezed.

“Oh yeah…!” Anko grinned. Mayu collapsed at her teacher’s words. “Nice job by the way. You can take a ten-minute break, and then we’ll-”

Anko was interrupted by a puff of smoke. A man had appeared in between the two. He looked up and held his hand out. “Black snow…?” he murmured, confused. The shock wore off and Anko, angrily, turned her head from the man.

“Snake ashes,” she corrected, causing the man to blanch.

“Iruka-sensei…?! What are you doing here?” Mayu sat up.

“It’s good to see you, too.” The scarred man smiled lightly. Mayu smiled sheepishly. “Actually, the Hokage would like to see you.”

“The Hokage…?” Mayu repeated, dumbly.

“What’s Hokage-sama want with this brat?” Anko asked, still not looking at Iruka. She glared at a tree, clearly miffed by Iruka’s presence. “We’re in the middle of training, you know.”

The chuunin noticed the irritation but chose not to comment. He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to Mayu. “I do not know for certain why he wants to see you, Sakura, but he said it was urgent.” The young kunoichi blinked, and then groaned. The thought of moving was very unappealing now. Despite this, she stood. She wondered how important this meeting could be.

“I have to go back to teaching since my break’s over, but please try to make it there in under five minutes, okay, Sakura, Anko-san?” Iruka performed hand seals, preparing to leave. Mayu gave an affirmative nod. Anko merely scoffed. “I’ll be seeing you.” He disappeared the same way he had appeared.

Anko grumbled something under her breath, causing the younger kunoichi to look her way. “Do you not like Iruka-sensei?” The woman glared at her. “Okay, forget I asked. Anyway, let’s get going. Hopefully, my body can withstand the journey.” Anko rolled her eyes.

The girl acted as if she were about to run a hundred kilometers. Her training was not that hard. Orochimaru had been worse. The two kunoichi bounded off. Hazel eyes stole a glance at the girl. Why would Orochimaru ever give _her_ the curse mark? It had been a thought that annoyingly persisted during her tutelage of the girl. Sure, she was talented, but… it just seemed too weird he would take an interest. Unless… Anko’s eyes grew wide.

“ _Did he know from the beginning that this girl could copy bloodlines?”_ The woman frowned. _“No, that can’t be it. When Sakura used that ability on that Hyuga, he looked just as surprised as everyone else. But then why…?”_ Anko bit her lip in frustration. _“You’d think he go for that Uchiha, but… or maybe he did. Sakura does seem like one of those types who would risk her life for those she cares about.”_

Out of the corner of her eye, Anko continued to watch her temporary student. Only two weeks remained for the interim. Soon, the Chuunin Exam would begin again. It came as a surprise that she still wanted to teach the girl. Despite her complaints, the kunoichi was a good student—willing to learn just about everything. Accept snakes. Her phobia of the creatures skirted on the edge of annoying. Still, she did not need to incorporate snakes in her fighting style. She could do without. Anko hoped this meeting would not take too long. When it started, she had not believed she would enjoy training a kid. Perhaps she should rethink her stance.

Mayu stopped. Anko did the same. They had reached their destination, which was outside of the window of the Hokage’s office. Mayu inwardly sighed. Anko had this weird thing with doors. Always, she would use the window to enter a building. Luckily, the Hokage seemed to know about Anko’s antics and opened the window already. Before the two entered, Anko bluntly told her student that this counted as her break time. “What…?!” Mayu shrieked. The woman whacked her over the head to stop further complaining. She then hopped in the building. Mayu glowered before following her.

Sarutobi swiveled around in his chair. “ _Ah_ , right on time,” he said. The two girls walked around the desk, causing the old man to spin back around to face them. “I am glad you could take time out of your training to see me.”

“May I ask why we’re here, Hokage-sama?” Mayu asked politely. She did not want to be struck again for rude behavior. Sarutobi nodded his head. Mayu guessed that the meeting was not formal seeing as how the Hokage did not don his headwear. “Why did you wish to see me?”

“Firstly, I have… questions. Tell me… What is your name?” His first question threw the young kunoichi off. She gave a wary glance towards her sensei. Anko just gave her look that told her to answer anything he asked. Perhaps, he was finally starting to become senile…? Mayu cleared her throat as she turned back to the Hokage.

“My name is Haruno Sakura, sir.”

“Is that so…?” Sarutobi stared at the young girl, expression unreadable. Mayu shifted nervously under his gaze. Inside, she was beginning to panic a little. “Tell me, Haruno-san, how has your training been?”

The girl instantly perked up. “My training is going very well, sir. Anko-sensei is a wonderful sensei, and I can actually feel myself getting stronger under her tutelage.” Anko swelled with pride. It wasn’t every day that someone complimented her. And when they did, it was usually out of fear. “I hope to effectively show the results of her training in the next stage of the Chuunin Exam.” Sarutobi chuckled and nodded his head.

“Tell me about the jutsu you’ve been working on, if you don’t mind,” he requested.

“I’m having trouble with that,” Mayu admitted. “The jutsu seems powerful, but I don’t believe I’m utilizing it correctly. I’m not sure how it’s supposed to look since I’ve never seen it demonstrated. I might need more than a month to master it.” Anko looked at her pupil in surprise. Mayu had never practiced that jutsu in her presence, so the woman had forgotten about it. She must have practiced outside of training. But that would mean that the girl wasn’t getting enough sleep. Anko narrowed her eyes. She would have to have a little talk with her.

“ _Hm_ … I believe I can help you with that,” Sarutobi said.

“Really…? You know this jutsu, Hokage-sama? I didn’t see your name in the scroll.”

Mayu was hit upside the head. “Don’t sound like you’re suspicious of him!” Anko scolded. The younger kunoichi glared at her sensei as she rubbed her head. “You think he would know about the technique he assigned you.” Mayu did not lose her glare.

“All in due time…” Sarutobi’s voice diverted the girl’s attention. “But for now, there is someone who I would like you to meet.” There was a sudden knock at the door, causing Mayu's head to turn. The knocking came again, slightly louder than before. “Yes, come in,” Sarutobi called. The door opened and in stepped a girl with long dark hair. Blue eyes blinked at the occupants of the room before settling on Mayu. In turn, she openly gawked at the newcomer. Skinnier than she remembered, but it was all too clear who stood opposite of her. She stared into a mirror. She had not seen this particular mirror in several months. Honestly, she might have forgotten had more time past.

Her strange mirror image suddenly pointed a finger at her. “My body…!” The shout startled Mayu out of her thoughts. “What the hell did you do to me?!” she ranted. Mayu winced. Definitely who she thought it was. “Where’d those muscles come from?! And what’s with those clothes?! How am I supposed to win Sasuke-kun over when I look like a _boy_?!”

“Uh…” Anko stood by looking quite confused. “ _Your_ body…?”

“I’m like ten percent sure Sasuke _is_ into boys, so no worries there,” Mayu retorted, mildly annoyed.

“Sasuke-kun’s into _what_?!”

“ _Uh_ … Hokage-sama…” Anko slowly turned to her leader. “Can you please explain what is going on? Who is this girl?”

“ _Ah_ , yes…” Sarutobi began. “The girl you have been training is actually an imposter.” Anko furrowed her brow, and then fixed a glare on her student. Mayu looked towards the floor, frowning. “I had my suspicions during the preliminaries. And now with the girl’s true form returning, I believe the jutsu can be dispelled.”

“You knew… Hokage-sama?” Mayu asked in a whisper. The older ninja nodded his head, expression still unreadable. The girl heaved a heavy sigh. She supposed her time here had ended. “I see…”

“Now, again, I ask you… What is your name?” Sarutobi questioned.

“My name…” Mayu bit her lip. “My name is Ishikari Mayu.”

“And the one behind you?” he continued.

“Haruno… Haruno Sakura,” Mayu stiffly answered. A smug ‘ _humph_ ’ was heard behind her. “But I-” She tried to explain herself, but the Hokage raised hand, stopping her from speaking.

“Please refrain from speaking until my question is asked,” he requested. Mayu swallowed hard. Submitting to the authoritative tone, she lowered her gaze to the floor again. Sarutobi cleared his throat. “Now, how long have you been in Haruno-san’s body?” Mayu waited a moment before replying.

“I have been in Sakura’s body since the morning the newly made genin were assigned their squad leaders.”

Sakura decided to speak up. “Hey, that’s right! I put my headband on my desk the night I received it.” The girl stomped to Mayu’s side. “You must have come into my room in the middle of the night and stole my body for yourself!”

“I didn’t willingly take _your_ body!” Mayu refuted with a shake of her head. Sakura continued glaring with blue eyes. Mayu sneered right back, offended by the girl’s obvious hostility. “Who in their right mind would _want_ to?!”

“What is that supposed to mean?!”

“Silence…!” The two girls turned to the Hokage. He did not appear happy with the banter. The two kunoichi straightened their forms, standing at attention. “To clarify, you have been living as Haruno Sakura since the last batch of genin graduated. The Rookie Nine?” Mayu stiffly nodded. “I must ask… Do you consider yourself a foreigner?”

“… Yes. I do not hail from the Leaf,” Mayu replied. Sarutobi’s eyebrow twitch. A slipup, which he quickly covered. Mayu could not decipher that if she wanted to. “But I am not an enemy. I am unsure of how this happened. That morning… I woke up like this. I did not intend for this to happen. I don’t even know how it is possible.”

The Hokage sighed lightly. “Does anyone else know of this?” Mayu opened her mouth to answer, but then quickly shut it. Was it right to tell the truth? Sasuke could get in serious trouble for not reporting his discovery. “Speak up, now, child.”

“ _Um_ … My teammate—well, I guess he isn’t really my teammate—Uchiha Sasuke knows that I am not really Sak-”

“Sasuke-kun’s on my team?! Hell yes!” Sakura cheered. “Take that, Ino-pig!” Sarutobi cleared his throat and looked at the girl through narrowed eyes, which caused Sakura to calm down. “S-Sorry…”

“Uchiha Sasuke knows about you, does he?” The Hokage turned his attention back to Mayu. The man stroked his beard. “I see…”

“Yes, but please don’t penalize him…! I begged him not to tell anyone—and even then, he interrogated me to make sure I wasn’t an enemy!” Mayu insisted. “In fact, we were supposed to let others know once we returned to the village from the Land of Waves… or after we seriously fight each other—friendly fight, I swear! But there were… internal complications within our team. We weren’t communicating for a bit, and then Kakashi-sensei told us about the exam, and the idea of coming forward got… lost along the way. I’ll take _full_ responsibility, sir.”

“Are you going to punish her or not, Hokage-sama?” Sakura questioned, folding her arms over her chest. “She stole my body and made people believe that she was me—except Sasuke-kun, of course! He probably realized it wasn’t me right away. Sasuke-kun is amazing like-”

“Shut up…!” Anko raised her voice. The girl’s mouth instantly closed. Light brown eyes turned back to Sarutobi. “Hokage-sama, what do you intend to do?”

“Ishikari-san… I won’t punish you because you are merely misinformed,” Sarutobi announced, which caused a ‘what?!’ to come from Sakura. Mayu only looked confused. “I have come to realize that you have… lost memories.” Mayu looked even more confused. “You are an Ishikari clan member. You are from a noble, albeit secret, house of the Leaf. You are one of two that are left in the world.” Mayu’s mouth dropped open. “Perhaps it will help if you read this…” The Hokage pulled open a desk drawer. He reached and lifted a scroll. He held it out to Mayu. She hesitantly walked forward, and then took the offered scroll from his hand.

Mayu’s eyebrows knitted together as she stared at the scroll in her hand. The scroll read Ishikari… but the characters were _English_. Swallowing, she peeled back the paper. Green eyes grew wide in shock. All the characters were English. No—no, it was Español. Mayu concentrated on the words, trying to remember what she had learned from her father.

_Mayu,_

_The worst has come to pass._

_I feared the downfall of Ishikari, and yet I could not stop it._

_You do not deserve the same fate._

_However, you must be terribly confused._

_Using the forbidden jutsu cost your memories._

_There is a word that will trigger your mind._

_You, my daughter, are the last of us._

_Please forgive me._

_I love you dearly, and I wish you better than I could give you._

_-Ishikari Mayuka_

Mayu took a pause. She didn’t understand the letter at all. This woman was calling herself her mother. However, her mother’s name was Ishikari Sheena… There had to be some sort of mistake. There had to be another girl with the same name. Mayu wasn’t even from around here—not even from this reality, really. Green eyes scanned over the words again, trying to find some type of loophole. There had to be one. This letter could not have been addressed to someone not of this world. Finding no excuse, Mayu sighed. She bit her lip in anticipation as her eyes slowly traveled across the page to find this trigger. If nothing happened, then…

_Nana_

Mayu tilted her head to the side, clearly confused. She shrugged. She wasn’t getting anything from that, so these last words meant nothing. There was another Ishikari Mayu of the Leaf village. The Hokage was the one that was misinformed. She felt confident that this woman was talking about someone else-

The scroll dropped from the girl’s hands.

Sarutobi, as well as Sakura and Anko, watched the girl’s eyes grow wide. The girl’s body trembled as she reached up and clutched her head. Her pupils expanded and minimized at speeds above normal. Her other hand reached up to grab her head. Anko reached out to her imposter student. “Hey… Are you ok-?” The woman’s question was interrupted by a deafening scream. The sudden scream caused Anko to stumble back. Sakura, bewildered, did the same. The Hokage, however, chose to look at the screaming girl with indifference. Getting nine years of memories back was no easy task. “Hokage-sama…! Are we just going to stand here and do nothing?!”

“Be calm, Anko-san…” he replied, perfectly composed. “She needs this. She needs to realize that she is of this village. She needs to know everything about her life, her displacement, and her heritage. This is the only way.” Anko clenched her teeth but said nothing else. She stared back at her student, feeling helpless.

After a few moments, the screaming abruptly stopped. The girl panted heavily, green eyes glazed over. Exhausted, Mayu fell to the floor without bothering to brace herself. Tears ran down her cheeks, yet she appeared unaware of them. She breathed through her mouth, fingers curling against the floor. “H-Hey…” Anko moved hesitantly before lowering herself. The older kunoichi lifted the girl by the shoulders. “Hey, kid, you alright?” Mayu did not respond to her. Anko grit her teeth. “Pull yourself together, already! I didn’t train a weakling, did I?” Slowly, the younger kunoichi shut her eyes. She breathed in deeply, and then exhaled and opened her eyes.

“Ita… Itachi…” Mayu murmured.

“What?” Anko nearly sputtered. She couldn’t have meant… _Uchiha_ Itachi, could she? Of course, Anko had heard of the genius of the Uchiha clan. The kid had graduated from the Academy at age 7, mastered his Sharingan at age 8, passed the Chuunin Exam at age 10, and lastly becoming an ANBU captain at age 13. Soon after becoming a captain, he snapped and deserted the village. Uchiha Itachi had become a missing ninja of the Leaf. How did this kid know that traitor? It was not a very common name, after all.

Anko turned her head towards Sarutobi, wanting answers. The Hokage stood from his chair, “Help her up, Anko-san,” he ordered. The woman obliged with a nod of her head. Shaking, the girl managed to keep upright. The Hokage walked around his desk and stood in front of Mayu. “Now that you regained your memories, I have a few more things to inform you of.” The young kunoichi numbly tilted her head. “Haruno-san,” Sarutobi addressed the other young kunoichi without taking his eyes from Mayu. “You may leave now. After I am finished speaking with this girl, I will call you back inside. Until then, you are dismissed.” Sakura frowned deeply but gave no indication of protesting. She bowed to the village’s leader, and then made her exit. “Anko-san,” Sarutobi continued once the room had been sealed. “You are aware of this girl’s ability to copy an advanced bloodline, correct?”

“To some extent…” she replied, narrowing her eyes. “She has not used that since her battle in the preliminaries.”

“This girl hails from a clan known only to a few,” Sarutobi explained. “Like the Yamanaka clan, her family has techniques to inhabit the body of another—swap minds, as you saw. Upon returning, they take on the characteristics of their opponent. Physical strength, resistance or immunity to poisons, even chakra pools—they could use these characteristics as their own. She, however, is a rarity even among her clan. She can copy the very core of a person—their very genetics could be made as her own.”

“So… that is why she was able to use the Byakugan,” Anko said.

“Correct.”

“Sir, I have never heard of a technique that could do something like that,” Anko stated. “If such a thing really exists… how come no one else has heard about this until now? To be honest, the surname Ishikari isn’t familiar to me either.”

“Yes, there is a reason for that,” Sarutobi stated. “I am told when the First established the village, a single member of Ishikari agreed to support him. Soon, the entire clan came to support him. With their techniques, they aided us during the first Ninja War. Because of their efforts—their technique of switching bodies—the village remained standing throughout generations. However, the Second believed enemy villages would attempt to use the clan against us. He kept the clan in isolation—a last line of defense, if necessary.”

“But why…? Why would the Second go that far for a single clan?” Anko questioned.

“… Ishikari is originally not of the Fire Country. They come from the Wind Country,” Sarutobi admitted. “Perhaps it was… paranoia on his part, but he believed their home country would demand their return once their abilities were found out. Leading to more war.” Anko frowned uneasily. “For a long while, Ishikari was only known to a select few. Then, three years ago, they were discovered. Uchiha Itachi found them. Soon after, the Leaf lost both clans to… to his… madness.” Sarutobi lowered his gaze to the floor for a moment. He sighed deeply before continuing. “Not all perished that fateful night. I was… aware that a child had escaped the massacre. However, she could not be found. Until now. Hidden in the body of a comrade.” He looked to Mayu again. “Does that sound correct, Ishikari-san.”

“How easily someone can summarize my clan’s demise,” Mayu whispered. She shut her eyes. “But yes, that is correct.”

“May I ask where you were…?” Sarutobi asked.

“It does not matter, Hokage-sama,” she replied. “That life—that place—is lost to me now. I was nowhere with no memory. Not even aware of myself. Not aware that I was waiting to return. It was a construct of my own mind—nothing more. A protective prison. My mother was thorough.” Her bitter tone caused the leader to frown. “You intended for me to remember. May I know why?”

“Among other things, perhaps we can conduct an interview of that night,” Sarutobi suggested. “But not now. I’m sure you need time.” Mayu said nothing in response. “I assume you can reverse the technique your mother used on you.” The kunoichi nodded. “Very well, once the Chuunin Selection Exam ends, you will return to your proper body. Depending on your display, I will grant you ninja status of whichever rank.”

“Thank you,” Mayu said.

“Based on your abilities, I will determine which team you will be placed on,” he continued. Again, Mayu nodded. “I look forward to your match, Ishikari-san. In the meantime, you will continue your training with Anko-san. I will speak with Haruno-san regarding her role. Dismissed.” With that said, the two kunoichi left the way they came. Sarutobi sighed lightly. He had recognized the demeanor the girl had taken on. The same numbness of Uchiha Sasuke so soon after the massacre of his own family. Perhaps, in the end, both she and the boy could lay the past to rest… For now, he would deal with the present. The real Haruno Sakura must be utterly perplexed about the situation. With that thought in mind, Sarutobi headed for the door.

0-0

Sakura watched unfamiliar legs swing back and forth. She had been sitting in a chair in the main lobby of the Hokage building. Bored, she stared at her new body in mild fascination. Never before had she seen a person with this type of complexion. It almost seemed aberrant to her. At first, she didn’t believe it. Without even looking down at the body, she confidently denied that someone had stolen her body. After a few minutes of bickering with the Hokage’s helper, the old man finally ordered him to bring a mirror. There was no more arguing after that.

Sakura’s body had transformed overnight. Brown skin had replaced hers. Deep blue eyes had replaced sparkling green orbs. And the body type… Sakura looked physically sick! Not to mention the ever-present feeling of fatigue… Even Ino’s body didn’t look like this, and the blonde had gone on several diets to impress Sasuke. _“Sasuke-kun…”_ Sakura sighed in bliss. He had known it wasn’t her all along. They were even on the same team together. The Uchiha was so amazing. He must’ve have secretly watched her, memorizing her actions and personality. He probably knew immediately that an imposter had taken her place.

Someone cleared their throat, causing Sakura to jump from her chair. The Hokage watched her with a raised brow. The girl flushed in embarrassment. She hoped that her leader did not see grinning like a maniac and punching the air in victory. Sometimes, Sakura would just lose herself in her own little world. She giggled uneasily before bowing to her leader. Sarutobi nodded at her sign of respect. “Haruno-san, as I’ve explained before, your body is under the control of another person,” he began. Sakura vehemently nodded her head with a frown.

“Are you sure you won’t punish that phony?!” she asked, heatedly. “And when am I getting my body back?” Sakura had a lot of work to do to get her body back to normal. That girl had screwed up her lovely appearance. There were bruises, scratches, and bandages all over! And her long, beautiful hair had been a mess! It looked as if she hadn’t washed it at all today, and Sakura never went without a day of washing her hair several times, so it could smell nice for Sasuke. And she somehow had to make those ugly male muscles disappear.

The Hokage narrowed his eyes. “No, I will not be punishing, Ishikari-san.” Sakura was about to protest again. The Hokage, however, interrupted before a single word could escape. “As she said before, Haruno-san, she did not willingly take your body.”

“And you believe her?!”

“Ishikari-san is a fellow ninja of this village. You dare insist on punishment for her?” Sakura frowned at his harsh question. How was she supposed to know she was a kunoichi? “This current situation is the result of… a training accident. Ishikari-san woke up in your body without any memories of what had happened, that is all.” Sakura frowned lightly, not liking the justification. It all sounded way too dubious for her taste. But never mind that…

“When is she going to reverse the jutsu? I wanna see my team!” Sakura smiled in elation. She really did not care about the one other team member, or the sensei for that matter. As long as Uchiha Sasuke stood among them. The Hokage sighed, causing the girl’s joyful attitude to deflate.

“Actually, Haruno-san, you will remain in this body until the Chuunin Selection Exam is over,” he told her. Sakura gaped at him in surprise. The exam had already started?! Sure, the Hokage had told her earlier that it had been a while since the graduation, but had it really been this long?! She had missed it, which meant she wasn’t going to take it this time around… She wondered if how difficult it might have been. Would she even want to take it without these strange circumstances?

“So, I’m supposed to stay in this body until it’s over?! That’s not fair at all!” Sakura complained.

The Hokage seemed to ignore her complaints. “You will remain in this body for the rest of the month. While in this temporary body, you will eat and exercise to return the health that was lost.” He continued, locking his fingers behind his back. “Also, while in this body, you will not communicate with anyone you know. Family, friends, fellow ninja—you will not speak with them if you encounter them.” Sakura made a small sound of dissatisfaction, but that was it. The Hokage’s orders were absolute, after all.

“How long will that be?” she asked, politely.

“There is about two more weeks in this month. The person who will be taking care of you for these two weeks is currently waiting for you at the Ichiraku stand. I assume you know where it is?” Sakura nodded. “Very well, then. The person that will watch over you for the time being—her name is Mariko. You will address her as Mariko-sensei because she will teach you things that you are supposed to know already.”

“Yes, sir,” Sakura responded, albeit unhappily. Months of missing training sucked… Sakura hoped she wouldn’t have to repeat anything from when she was in the Academy.

“Mariko-san will give you a forehead protector and the standard ninja sandals. She will show you to the apartment you will live in. The apartment is already stocked with things you will need. Remember, Haruno-san, this is only temporary, so please try not to damage the apartment or cause trouble. Ishikari-san will be living there after you two switch bodies again.”

“I understand clearly, Hokage-sama,” Sakura said. Inwardly, she huffed in annoyance. Damaging the apartment was the least of ‘Ishikari-san’s’ troubles. How dare some random stranger take her body, her life, her _Sasuke-kun_?! Sakura coughed to settle the anger that had suddenly bubbled up. “Am I free to go meet Mariko-sensei, now, Hokage-sama?” she asked.

“Yes, you may leave.” The Hokage turned to go as he said this. Sakura bowed lightly as the man left her standing there. Once the old man disappeared around the corner, Sakura’s smile turned into a smirk. He said that she should not communicate with them. But surely, she could go see them. Ino had probably taken the exam but failed miserably, so she would most likely be in her family’s flower shop. She would go see her first. Sasuke would probably be training, so she would try to find him next. Afterwards, she would try to visit her parents. Only to see them, though. She would not talk to them when she looked like this.

With a determined nod, Haruno Sakura, in the body of Ishikari Mayu, walked out of the building.

0-0


	20. Gonna Write Myself a New Start

She ran. She ran, never stopping to catch her breath. She did not dare turn around to see if her pursuer continued the chase. Sweat quickly skidded off her face as she tried to distance herself further and further away from her predator. Wild laughter suddenly filled her ears, causing her to gasp. The laughter surrounded her. Gritting her teeth, she tried to run even faster. The screams of her teammates haunted her mind. She grabbed her head, still running, and pleaded for the screams to go away. Her hands smeared the blood of her teammates on her face and hair. She could not save them even if she had _wanted_ to. She had been too scared to move. Too scared to think... Too scared to _die_...

“And where do you think _you’re_ going?” A malicious voice spoke. The girl’s eyes snapped open in horror. Her hunter had caught up with her. A blur whizzed by her, startling the girl. She tripped over her own foot and fell to the ground. Her chin painfully slid against the ground. Mud caked onto her chin and blood started seeping through the small cuts. The girl slowly raised her head, afraid of what her eyes would see. Her gaze met vicious cat-like eyes. She stared into the face of a giant tiger. Her lip trembled as she realized that two other giant tigers stood at her sides, trapping her. There was no escaping her fate. “Did you really think you weren’t going to suffer the same fate as your pathetic teammates?” The same malicious voice questioned with a dark chuckle.

The kunoichi slowly turned to meet her seeker. As she turned, her hands reached into the holster on her leg. She discreetly pulled out three senbon. She heard the footsteps come closer. Her eyes widened, and then she hurriedly threw them towards where her attacker stood. She saw the smirk on her assailant’s face. The ninja quickly disappeared—dodging the needles—only to reappear mere centimeters from the girl’s face. Her chin dropped. A strangled gasp broke away from her throat. Her tracker tittered. Green eyes stared nastily into scared black ones. “No… I-I-I … do-don’t want to di-die…” The girl’s voice quivered.

Once again, the maniacal laughter filled her ears and caused the nervous trembles to begin again. The girl could feel the hot breath on her face. She closed her eyes. “After what you did to my teammate…?” It was a rhetorical question, not meant to be answered. “Oh no, Tsuchi Kin, you will die just like the rest of your team.” A hand reached out and grabbed a fistful of Kin’s long, black hair, causing the Sound kunoichi to wince in pain. Her killer laughed and pulled her off the ground. She could see the black cursed mark spread across the face of her executioner. The wicked grin on the Leaf kunoichi’s face caused Kin to shake violently.

A new—familiar—dark chuckled caused Kin to look beyond her. A familiar smirk was sent her way. Kin weakly smiled. It was her savior. “Or-Orochimaru-sama…” she whispered. He had come to help her. Her leader chuckled again. He turned his head slightly. He was looking at the Leaf kunoichi. Not her. “Orochimaru-sama…?”

“Are you finished?” he asked.

“Just about.”

“Finish quickly… I have more important things to do.”

Kin’s eyes grew wide. Was he not going to save her from this fate? “Orochimaru-sama, please save me…!” Her pleas were ignored. Orochimaru turned his back on his own ninja. “I-I-I can sti-still serve you!”

“Serve me…?” He, again, chuckled darkly. “But you already have, my dear girl. You fulfilled your purpose as a test for my prodigy. There is no other use for you. Thank you for serving me so well.” Kin stared at his back in disbelief. Orochimaru’s body faded into darkness. He would not save her. This entire time, her life meant nothing to him. Coming to this realization, the Sound kunoichi’s body slackened. The green-eyed girl laughed again. She sarcastically tried to console her.

“It’s okay, Kin- _chan_ , I’m sure you’re going to a better place…” With another laugh, the Leaf ninja effortlessly tossed Kin into the air. “Thank you for the entertainment. But I’m bored now.” A split second later, something heavy slammed into her body. She could feel claws digging into her back. Her front hit a tree. Her nose cracked, and the sound echoed in her ears, when it collided with the tree. It instantly started bleeding as she sank to the forest floor. Fangs pierced her skin. Kin screamed, feeling the blood gushing from her injuries. More fangs sliced open her skin, causing more shrieks of pain. The tigers tore away her flesh. The screaming stopped, and yet they continued to feast on her body. So much pain wracked her body, but she also felt something else. Something surprising. From the depths of her core, she felt rage. One last thought passed through her mind before the world turned red and black.

_“Orochimaru-sama… You bastard…!”_

0-0

Two eyelids shot open. A moonlit room greeted a pair of black eyes. Tsuchi Kin slowly sat up from her futon and pushed the covers from her body. She looked at her lap for a fleeting moment before gazing out of her window, towards the full moon. Her fingers curled into fists as her eyelids lowered. How could she have been so stupid? As soon at the curse mark appeared on that girl, Kin should have automatically known that Orochimaru had betrayed them. He had sent them to their _deaths_. Because she had trusted and had been loyal to the snake Sanin, Dosu had lost his arm. He could not live as a ninja anymore. Zaku would also never be a ninja in his lifetime. Kin felt like she was the only one left. She was left alone… and it was all Orochimaru’s fault.

She would make him sorry. She would become more powerful and kill him, slowly and painful for all the things he had done to her and her teammates. They had gone through so much for him and his cause, and yet he still treated them like dirt—less than dirt. She would make him beg for mercy. She would cut out his tongue, and then those hypnotic eyes. She would slice at his face and limbs, allowing his blood stain that sickening, pale skin. Her nails dug into her palms, leaving crimson, crescent-shaped marks. He would die a horrible death.

A bitter smile appeared.

“Wishful thinking…” she murmured, letting her gaze drop from the sight of the moon. She would stand no chance against the likes of Orochimaru. He was powerful—too powerful. Hadn’t that been the reason she had been his pawn? Only he had protected her, after all. Now, she realized the truth. Kin’s fingers suddenly slackened. Along with the truth came the realization of how alone she felt. She had nothing in the Sound village either. Nothing and no one waited for her there.

A loud knocked caused Kin’s head to turn to the door. It was Zaku. He was the only one left with one usable arm. Those two… They wanted so badly to be put out of their misery. What was the point of living if they couldn’t live as a ninja? They had not even cared that their leader had betrayed him. “Wake your ass up, Kin!” Zaku’s voice came through the door. “Orochimaru-sama wants to see us right now!” Kin narrowed her eyes, and then looked down. That tone in his voice—so eager. The thought of doing something for that traitorous bastard caused him anticipation. And if she hadn’t known any better, she would behave in the same way. After all, Orochimaru had succeeded in brainwashing them all, and causing them to depend solely on him and him alone. “Kin…! I said get your a-”

“I’ll be there…! Just go on without me. I’ll catch up soon!” It was a lie, of course. If she had gone to see Orochimaru, she would be too tempted to attack him. It was his fault that their team was nothing and useless. Grumbles came from the other side of the door. Zaku muttered a ‘fine’ and left. Soon afterwards, the front door slammed, indicating their departure. “Those poor bastards…” They remained blind. Orochimaru would not request them for anything vital. He could not have a use for a broken team. Kin could only guess his intention. Perhaps, he would discard them in a permanent way. Kin shuddered, vividly recalling her dream. She wrapped her arms around herself and squeezed her eyes shut.

She needed to leave.

The Sound kunoichi quickly stood, stripping herself of her sleeping attire. She walked over the dresser and pulled out her clothes. After putting on her clothes, she made a grab for her forehead protector but hesitated. Her fingers touched the metal plate, tracing the music note that was engraved there. The Sound had been home to her for many years… The years had been long and painful—and for what? Nothing… She received nothing but doubt for obedience. She had been a fool for the past seven years. “No more…” Kin’s fingers curled up. “No more!” She moved her fingers away from the headband as if she had been scorched. She pulled out a senbon from her weapon’s pouch and jammed the end into the metal plate.

With effort, Kin dragged the senbon across the plate, creating a line across the music note. She pulled her senbon out of the plate and gazed at her handiwork. The line looked a bit wavy, but it proved its purpose. It would show her decision. Kin laid out the headband, and then slid her weapon of choice against the skin underneath her eye. She winced as she dragged the pointed end down her cheek. She felt the blood trickling down as well. Droplets fell from her chin and splashed against the floor. The kunoichi breathed in deeply. No turning back now. She turned, and headed for the window. She opened her window, and then hopped on the ledge. With one last glance at her room, she ignored the stream of blood running down her cheek. Then she leapt out and disappeared into the night.

Tsuchi Kin: Missing-nin of the Sound Village.

0-0

Sakura yawned loudly. She then twisted, stretching her body to get the knots. Sleeping on the floor was not something she was used to. Thanks to her living arrangements, Sakura had been sleeping on the floor for a week now. She could not wait until this ended. She would return to her body and get to sleep in her nice, warm bed, instead of a futon. Yawning once more, Sakura walked away from her temporary bedroom and towards the small, cramped, bathroom. Her real bathroom was much bigger than this. It was not fair that the Hokage stuffed her into this small vicinity.

After relieving herself, Sakura quickly washed her hands. She closed the door to the bathroom and headed towards the equally small kitchen. The girl couldn’t cook many things, so the stocked refrigerator and cabinets had rarely been used. All Sakura had had for breakfast this past week was toast and butter, which was fine. Mariko-sensei would treat her to lunch and dinner. It was a precaution, coming from the Hokage. He had somehow found out that Sakura did not like to eat much, so he ordered it to make sure she received the proper nutrients. For the most part, Sakura was okay with this. That feeling of exhaustion had finally gone away, and she could walk a long distance without stopping to catch her breath.

Sakura grumbled something under her breath as the toaster popped out her bread. It was another pair burnt to a crisp. “ _Jeez_ …! How did mom use this thing?” The girl took out the burnt pieces of bread, and then placed in another pair. Hopefully, if she watched it, they would come out alright. Without taking her eyes off the toaster, Sakura discarded the burnt slices. A few moments of intense staring later, smoke started to rise. Sakura forcefully pushed the toaster lever up, causing her perfectly toasted bread to pop up. She smiled. She was really starting to get the hang of it. Maybe _she_ could cook her parents’ breakfast sometime. Her mother would be so surprised.

Sakura giggled lightly as she placed the toast on a plate. “Better yet, I’ll cook for Sasuke-kun! Since we’re going to be on the same team, it’ll be natural to make him lunch or breakfast!” The girl reached over to open the refrigerator. She pulled out the butter, closed the door, and then got out a knife. Still smiling over her fantasy, she spread the butter over her hot toast. Just as she took the first bite, a knock on the door caught her attention. She blinked at the door, trying to figure out if she had just imagined it. Another knock caused the girl to scowl, and then take the bread from her mouth. She hoped it wasn’t Mariko-sensei again. It was way too early.

Her blue eyes narrowed into slits as she moved towards the door. Another knock only succeeded in bringing a stress mark to the girl’s dark skin. “Keep your shirt on…!” she shouted as she opened the door. Blue eyes grew wide at what she saw. Another blue-eyed person stared back at her. He blinked, looking innocently surprised. Dark eyebrows knitted together in uncertainty. _“Naruto…?”_ Was that a real headband around his head? Sakura could have sworn he failed the Academy’s exam.

The blond grinned. “Hey, sorry if I woke you up…!” His loud statement caused Sakura to look down at herself. She was still wearing her pink pajamas. She flushed in embarrassment. Great, the class idiot had seen her in an indecent state.

“What do _you_ want?” Sakura grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. Naruto looked nervous as he continued to stare. Sakura’s eyebrow twitched in irritation. “Well…?!”

“Well, I just wanted to see who my new neighbor was! My name is Uzumaki Naruto! Remember that name—one day, I’ll be your Hokage!” His eyes sparkled, but it only further irritated Sakura. The loser would always talk about his dream of being Hokage, which would never come true. He was so _annoying_. “You’re my first neighbor. Everyone else moved away when I got here, so I came to say hi and welcome you to the neighborhood!” He raised his head with a pleasant smile on his face. Sakura glared. He was as annoying as ever. He hadn’t changed a bit. But why was this the first time she heard about his residence?

“Hey, how come I haven’t seen you before?” She was breaking the rule and interacting with an old classmate, but it should not matter. It was just Naruto. “I’ve been here for a week.”

“Oh, I’m training for the finals in the Chuunin Exam!” He pointed to his headband. “I am a ninja, after all!” His loud voice was not doing a lot of good so early in the morning… Wait…! Chuunin Exam…?! This brat made it to the finals. There must have been a lot of weak people. “Anyway, anyway…! What’s your name?”

“Ha—Ishikari… Mayu…” She had almost forgotten. No one ever asked her, not even Mariko-sensei. But she wasn’t much of a talker, anyway. Sakura cleared her throat. “Yes… I’m Mayu.” For about another week, she finished in thought.

“ _Ah_ , that’s a nice name! It’s nice to meet you!” His grinned seemed to grow bigger as he praised the name. It wasn’t _that_ nice. Haruno Sakura was a _much_ better name… And _Uchiha_ Sakura was even better. She quickly snapped out of it when Naruto spoke again. “You look like my age, so I hope we get along!”

_“Don’t count on it, loser!”_ Sakura faked a smile. Naruto, not noticing, eased down on the grinning and smiled back. “Sure…”

“Well, I have to start training again!” He turned to go. “SEE YA AROUND!!!” He left Sakura, clutching her ears and trying to get the ringing to stop.

“That idiot…!” Sakura complained as she slammed the door. She huffed angrily. “Well, I guess it’s only for another week. And since he’s training-” She stopped to laugh at the thought. As if he could train enough to become a _chuunin_. Everyone knew he was dead last. “-I guess I won’t be seeing much of him. Lucky me…!” She smiled as she walked back over to her breakfast. “Besides, I’m only here in the mornings, and don’t come back until real late. Now that the stamina has increased again, I can start training in my ninja abilities.” Mariko-sensei had told her earlier that she would teach her how to walk on water today. “Sasuke-kun’s going to be so proud of me when I return to my body. I can hardly wait!” She bit into her breakfast again. It was time to start the new day.

Only seven more days in this body.

0-0

Tsuchi Kin gazed down at her reflection in the clear water. The water only looked blue and white because of the sky above. She touched the scar on her face. It had been a week since she had given it to herself. It had been one week—seven days—since she had abandoned her village and comrades. It had been one week since she had been in hiding. A finger slid up and down the scar. It had stopped hurting a few days ago. It acted as a simple disguise just in case Orochimaru did find her. It wasn’t much of one, but then again, the snake Sanin had yet to find her. Kin scoffed. He probably had not bothered to look.

The missing-nin lied back on the grass and stared at the sky. It was a little before noon. She would have to find something to eat soon. She had money, but she did not try to risk going back into the village. Orochimaru had spies everywhere, it seemed. For the first time in seven years, she had to fend for herself. Kin shook her head. _“Don’t think like that!”_ she told herself. This was a good thing. A blessing. Being independent would mean she could be stronger. And she had to be. 

But that was a hard thing to accomplish when she felt so hollow inside. Kin sighed as she closed her eyes. Hollow—she had been feeling it for the past week. She had been indecisive. She knew she couldn’t stay in hiding forever, and she knew she couldn’t just up and leave the village either. By now, the Sound surrounded the outside of the village or was in preparation of doing so. She would be killed on site even with the disguise. To further add to the cover, Kin had changed clothes, and burned her old outfit.

She now wore simple dark pants rolled up just below her knees. The fabric of the pants was soft, yet strangely durable. And so was the dark blue t-shirt she wore. She now wore simple black flats. They weren’t as comfortable as her ninja sandals, but they had to do. She had stolen this outfit from a home near the hotel she had been staying in with her teammates. Her teammates… The fourteen-year-old rolled over on her side. She watched the blades of grass sway in the wind with a frown on her face.

Kin assumed that Orochimaru had killed them. She hadn’t seen the two the few times she _had_ ventured into town. Orochimaru must have done it that night she ran away. If she hadn’t had that dream—that nightmare—then she, too, would be dead. She had wanted to live. They—the fools—had wanted to die. If it would impress him, then they would do it without a second thought. She hated fools like that. She hated herself more because she had been the same way ever since she had met the snake-user. It was not out of loyalty. It was out of fear, she realized. Fear is what kept her serving him. She could give a rat’s ass what his _cause_ was. If she had shelter, it didn’t matter who she had served. How dim-witted she had been.

Kin’s eyelids lowered until they closed completely. “How could anyone be more frightful than him…” she murmured. Her lips pressed against her arm. As usual, her thoughts gradually shifted to that day in the Forest of Death. She never wanted to see eyes like that again. Horrible green eyes that sent chills throughout her body whenever she thought of them. All that for one teammate…? Kin was sure that Zaku and Dosu would have never gotten angry on her behalf. The bastards.

“Well, well, well…” Kin’s eyes snapped open in surprise. That voice… That dreadful voice… No, it couldn’t be! The missing-nin sat up. “What do we have here? A lost, little, golden, bell…?” Kin’s black eyes slowly met the eyes of the speaker. No… It was _her_. She stood in front of Kin with a sadistic smirk on her face. “Glad to see me again, Kin-chan…?” The missing-nin crawled backwards until her hand touched the water’s surface. Trapped. She could practically feel her heart in her throat. It hammered like a drum in her ears. “That wasn’t very nice.” The Leaf kunoichi feigned sadness. She then grinned. “Did you really think your little costume was going to stop me from finding you?” Those terrible green eyes looked at her in mock astonishment. “You even cut your long, pretty hair. What a waste… You could have died with it. Cutting it was a bit much.”

It had been another effort to disguise herself. Shoulder-length hair accompanied with bangs—to hide her eyes—should have concealed her identity from a distance. But the effort proved pointless in the face of her killer.

“Please… Spare me…!” Her voice had barely been above a whisper.

“No.”

Her simple response caused Kin to quake. “But I-” The Leaf kunoichi’s hand shot out and grabbed her neck before she could finish her sentence. She forced Kin’s head into the water, not giving the girl time to struggle. She intended to drown her. Kin grabbed the girl’s wrist, struggling to pry the fingers from around her neck. However, it was futile. The girl’s grip tightened around her throat. Kin couldn’t breathe. Water rushed into her mouth and nose at alarming speeds. As she thrashed around, she briefly wondered why death was taking so long to come. Why couldn’t her torture end? It was so painful. Kin felt her body slowly start to relax. Behind closed eyes, a beam of white light shot at her.

0-0

Kin sat up, inhaling sharp enough to cause a coughing fit. She felt sick to her stomach. Her head ached. Sweat ran down her face and slipped off her chin. She squeezed her eyes shut and grasped her head, trying hard to remove the green eyes from her mind. _“Damn it…!”_ Kin’s teeth grind together in frustration. When were these nightmares going to stop? They were maddening… horrifying. In her dreams, she would die. Every time. Suffocation, poisoning, burning, drowning, being mauled by tigers, being thrown from a cliff, having kunai stabbed repeatedly—death was certain when that girl appeared in her dreams. 

This last time she had not realized she had drifted. Kin sighed heavily. She laid her head back down on the soft… fluffy… pillow…? The girl bolted up again and frantically looked around. She no longer lied in a forest. Instead, she lied on a bed in a room. Kin blinked rapidly, eyesight becoming clear with each passing second. This atmosphere exuded warmth. Peace. Safety. She had _never_ felt this before. Kin pushed the covers away from her body. Eyes widening, she looked down at herself. Her attire had been replaced.

She now wore an overly large, grey t-shirt that reached her just above her knees. Kin pulled up the shirt. Shorts hugged her hips like a second skin. Kin flushed. She never really liked showing off her skin. She pushed the shirt back down, and then looked around the room again. It was essentially a clean room. There were clothes scattered in random places—like on a chair. The brown desk had papers and books layered on it. The table next to the bed also had a few books on it. There were two doors. Kin assumed that one of them was a closet. The other should be an exit. This room was unfamiliar.

Had she been captured? That conclusion did not seem plausible. The environment was much too _welcoming_. If she had been captured by Orochimaru, then she would most likely be strapped down to a hard metal contraption and being tortured for her desertion. And the smell would have been atrocious because of past torture victims. The smell that invaded her nostrils was pleasant. It smelled delicious. Kin’s stomach gurgled in agreement. Outside, she could the darkness of night. The stars and moon illuminated the room. Someone must have been cooking dinner.

Putting a hand over her rumbling stomach, Kin slowly slid her legs off the security of the bed. She didn’t want to leave the comforts, but her stomach overpowered her need for relief at the moment. It also overpowered her sense of fear and uncertainty, she realized. Kin opened the door, and luckily, it wasn’t the closet. The smell of food became stronger. The missing-nin stepped out into the hallway, which was lit by lights hanging from the ceiling. Kin took hesitant steps forward, hunger driving her. She could hear voices now. They were also unfamiliar. For her circumstance, that might be a good thing.

As Kin moved down the hallway, she passed by other doors that were closed. Only somewhat curious, she continued following her nose. The voices became louder as she drew closer to the end of the corridor. Kin could make out two different voices by now. One was male. The other was obviously female. The two voices sounded… fine, she guessed. She would have to face them. Their voices came from the same room as the smell. With a gulp, Kin pushed opened the door, determined to steal the food if necessary.

The two stopped talking and looked up at her. Kin swallowed. They were staring at her as if they expected her. The boy appeared the same age, perhaps younger. Judging from that headband, he was a ninja of Konoha. He had brown spiky hair, red, upside down triangles on his face—one under each eye. His black eyes were almost like slits. The female, however, looked older. She had bigger black pupils and long dark brown hair tied in a ponytail. She had the same markings on her face as the boy. She smiled lightly. It was surprising to see a warm smile on someone’s face. It looked genuine enough. Maybe she was not in immediate danger… 

“ _Um_ -”

“It’s about time you came in here! We thought you passed out in the hallway, or something!” The shinobi had interrupted her before she could start a sentence. He grinned, showing longer than normal canines. They had been expecting her. Did they know of her presence the entire time? The two were similar in appearances. Perhaps they were related. Siblings probably. They sat at a table. A full course meal spread between them. Her stomach rumbled again at the sight. Kin also noted the third chair. Someone had yet to arrive.

Kin’s eyes shifted back to the boy. He still grinned as if she wasn’t a stranger. He did seem familiar, but there was no name to match his face. Maybe she had seen him in the Forest of Death. He was a ninja, after all. Young enough to be genin. It suddenly struck her. She was in the home of Leaf ninja. Unconsciously, her body began to slowly retreat. “Don’t just stand there, come join us,” the woman’s soothing voice had brought Kin closer to the table somehow. She sat down at the table, in between the two—whoever they were. She fiddled with her hands in her lap. She didn’t dare to even look at the food in front of her. “Well, aren’t you going to eat? Your food is going to get cold.” _Her_ food…? She hesitantly looked up at the woman. She was still smiling. “My name is Inuzuka Hana, by the way.” Instead of devouring her meal—which is _really_ wanted to do—Kin finally spoke up.

“Where am I? Why did you bring me here? Where are my clothes? Why are you feeding me? Who are you? Where did-”

“You sure do ask a lot of questions.” The boy snickered. Kin glared at him, causing his snickers to become uneasy laughter until it stopped. The missing-nin turned back to the woman. She chuckled lightly.

“You are on the Inuzuka compound. I didn’t bring you here, Kiba did-” She gestured towards the boy, but Kin kept her face on the speaker. “-Your clothes are hung up in my closet. I’m feeding you because it’s been two days since Kiba found you, so you must be starving. Like I said, my name is-”

“What?! Two days…?! But that can’t be it! I was-”

“I found you passed out at my secret training spot,” Kiba, again, interrupted. It was starting to make her mad. Oblivious to this, he continued. “There were some bad mushrooms near your body, so I assume you ate them and got sick. Sis has been taking care of you since then. What were you doing eating bad mushrooms, anyway?”

“It’s all I had…” Kin grumbled, still glaring. “Brat.”

Kiba returned the glare. “What was that? I didn’t quite hear that over your _growling stomach_!” His spiteful remark caused Kin to flush and duck her head. She had to _remember_ that these Leaf ninja were feeding her. “Why don’t you repeat that so we can all hear it?”

“Kiba…!” his older sister scolded. “That’s not any way to treat a guest!”

“Well, I made it! The least she could do is be thankful!” Kiba yelled back.

Before Hana could retort, Kin stood up. “I didn’t ask you to treat me, nor did I ask you to bring me here,” she said. Her eyes did not meet either one of them. “I will go now.”

“Hey, wait…! I didn’t say that you had to _go_!” Kiba shouted before she could turn. “Sit down and eat with us!” Kin felt both pairs of eyes on her. It wasn’t until her stomached rumbled again that she sat. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kiba grin again. “See? Was that so hard?”

“Thanks for the food…” Kin muttered, picking up the chopsticks and the bowl in front of her. She would never admit that it tasted good aloud to his face. Complimenting him would be too embarrassing.

“So… you know our names… What’s yours?” Kiba asked, trying to make conversation. Kin swallowed the lump in her throat. She had been eating much faster than normal. But then again, she normally would be fed on the daily basis. Kin set her bowl on the table. She wiped the rice from her face. “I mean, I’ve never seen you around before. Are you here to see the Chuunin Exam?”

“Sure, whatever.” This vague answer caused Kiba to scowl at her. He asked for her name again. “I have no name.” Kiba growled, showing annoyance.

“Look…! I bring you to my home, the least you could do is answer my question!”

“I don’t have to answer shit!”

“I dare you to say _that again_!”

“I. Don’t. Have. To. Answer. _Shit_!”

“ _Grr_ … THAT’S IT!”

Hana sighed heavily as her brother lunged at the girl. The girl retaliated quite efficiently, leading Hana to believe the girl held a ninja background. Or at the very least, she had been trained for combat. The older Inuzuka picked up her cup and sipped on the hot tea. With uncaring eyes, she watched her younger brother and a stranger wrestle on the floor. She turned her attention to the table. Both had finished their meals. Kiba had always been a fast eater. The girl had been too hungry to show manners, so she had eaten quickly, too. She began to pick up their dishes, as well as hers. The two bumped into the table a few times, but Hana didn’t mind. The veterinarian was so glad that her mother was out. But there was going to be hell to pay when she did arrive…

0-0

“This is all _your_ fault…!” Kiba growled, angrily. Kin rolled her eyes as she watched the boy toss and turn. She sat with her back against the wall. Her arms folded over chest. Her legs were packed tightly, knees raised. Kiba lied down at her feet. Kin _accidently_ kicked his side, causing him to glare at her. “It is! Don’t kick me!”

“Excuse me…?! You’re the one who dove at me like some sorta beast!” Kiba glowered at her. Kin only turned her head away. “I can’t believe this happened…”

She was being punished. Punished by a woman she did not know. Inuzuka Tsume had returned home to find her son and Kin wrestling in the kitchen. She had been beyond angry. She had yelled at them for an entire hour. The brazen kunoichi made it clear they were to sleep outside with the dogs. Well, not with the dogs, per se, as it was just herself and Kiba outside. The dogs could sleep inside tonight instead of in their kennels. This entire thing was ridiculous and unnecessary, but Kin followed the order regardless. The head of Inuzuka was too ferocious to disobey.

Kiba grunted and turned his back to the missing-nin. “You know, this wouldn’t have happened if you would have just told me your name,” he murmured, yawning. Kin remained silent. Kiba sighed heavily. “Fine, be that way…”

“If I tell you my name… would you _please_ shut the fuck up?” Kin groused. Kiba only growled lowly, obviously offended. “My name is Tsuchi Kin.”

“Tsuchi…? Wait a minute…!” Kiba turned around. Kin turned to face him. “You’re that Sound kunoichi who fought Shikamaru in the preliminaries, aren’t you?” The missing-nin grumbled as she stared at her knees. “You look so different now. Why’d you cut your hair?”

“None of your business…! Now shut up, already. I’m trying to sleep!” Kin put her head down and closed her eyes, not waiting for a retort. She did hear the shinobi move around. What the hell was he doing? She had thought he would go to sleep by now. Curious, she lifted her head and opened her eyes. That proved to be a big mistake… Kiba’s face was mere centimeters from her own and… appeared to be sniffing her. It took a few moments to register. “What the fu-” Kin reared back sharply. The back of her head hit the side of the doghouse. Kiba laughed hysterically in response. “Shut up, you damn mutt!” The missing-nin tenderly rubbed her head. That had hurt much worse than it should have because she had bitten her tongue.

“ _Hahaha_ …! That was just like when you lost to Shikamaru!” Kiba held his stomach. He was now sitting up like Kin. The missing-nin kicked him again, but it did not stop the laughter. Kin bared her teeth. Damn these brats for making her look like a fool. She wished that she had kept her weapons. She wasn’t bitter about her match with that lazy bum of a ninja—she had not been feeling well, after all—but it didn’t need to be brought up. “So… Why’d you cut your hair?” Kiba grinned at her, mirth lingering.

“Would you _just_ shut up?!”

“I can’t help it! I’m bored!” Kiba indignantly replied. Kin sighed miserably. There was no way she was going to get any sleep at this rate. This Kiba was such a brat. “Tell me why you cut your hair.”

“I cut it to disguise myself from a rapid snake and a couple of tigers,” Kin deadpanned. Kiba blinked in surprise, and then cracked a smile. “What?”

“You’ve got a pretty weird way of telling the truth.”

“What is _that_ supposed to mean? How do you know I’m not lying?”

“I’ve got this!” He pointed to his nose proudly.

“You’re a fucking dumbass…”

“So what…? You’re like… homeless now?”

“None of your business, fleabag!” Kin glared.

“I don’t have fleas.”

“Could’ve fooled me! You keep scratching your head as if you do!”

“I just do that when I’m thinking!”

“Yeah right!”

“… You are so hard to talk to! You’re as shriveled up as an old man!”

“That’s what she said…”

“What…?”

Kin flushed in embarrassment. Did that crude joke really just come from her mouth? Man, if Zaku wasn’t dead already, she would kill him. He used to say that all the time. No matter what. No matter who happened to be there. One time, Orochimaru had been talking to Kabuto. He was referring to the report Kabuto had given him when he said ‘Why is it so long, Kabuto?’ Zaku was quick to say ‘That’s what she said!’ Orochimaru was very upset. Kabuto had been drinking something and had spurted the liquid right in the snake Sanin’s face. Hilarity ensued. It had been a rare moment where her team actually laughed together.

“So-Sorry…” her voice had cracked. Her eyes stung with a strange familiarity. It was something she hadn’t done in a very long time. Kin clamped a hand over her mouth to prevent the strangled sob from coming out. She was crying. After all these years, she was crying. She did not love Zaku or Dosu, nor did she think of them as friends, but… they were gone. They would be no more arguments, no more jokes, no more smirks—no more… comfort.

Kin swallowed a lump as tears spilled freely from her eyes. Without Zaku or Dosu there, the days of solitude were finally catching up. She had abandoned her village and comrades. She was all alone in the world. Kin did not want to cry—to show weakness, but this was something she could not help it. “Hey, hey, hey…! What’s wrong?” A hand came down on her shoulder. Startled, Kin looked up. Kiba had moved to her side and wrapped his arm around her. She had forgotten he was there. More tears came. She felt even weaker than before. Letting some stranger see her cry—how pathetic…

Her body began shaking. This was stupid. What was point of living, anymore? She had nowhere to go. No one cared about her. She was alone. She was betrayed. She was—another arm moved around her. Kin blinked back another flow of tears. She stared down at the arm that was holding her. Her eyes then shifted up to Kiba. He had completely enveloped her into a _hug_. She had not been hugged since she was a toddler. Why was he…? “Ge-Get the hell-”

“You can cry,” he interrupted. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but it’s obviously not good. You can cry until you go to sleep. I’ll stay like this for your benefit.”

“… Why… Why are you doing this?”

He shrugged. “My sister gets like this sometimes—panic attacks,” he muttered. “Hugging her usually calms her down.” Kin frowned deeply, forcing herself not to lean into his embrace. Though… She found herself wanting to let go. “I don’t know how things are in your village, but in _this_ village, we learn to help each other out when we need it,” Kiba continued as though he could sense her hesitance. “So, you can just get use to this hospitality.” Kin slowly lowered her head. He wasn’t lying. He actually seemed to care. Maybe he had gotten brainwashed, too, but… this was nice. She liked this. Inuzuka Kiba was nothing but a stranger, and yet she felt closer to him than she had her teammates. “Don’t get it twisted, though. This doesn’t mean I like you or something.”

“… Get the fuck off me, mutt.”

0-0

Yamanaka Ino yawned loudly, not bothering to cover it up. It had been another grueling day of training. Today, her father had been much more relentless in his attacks. With the finals right around the corner, she could understand his intentions. Still, her body seemed to ache worse today. It was a bit much. Ino had not sweated so much in her entire life. The blonde kunoichi shrugged. She supposed it would be worth it in the end. If she chose not to train this hard, she would not stand any type of change against her opponent.

The blonde shuddered at the thought of his eyes. In just a few more days, she would face him. Ino released a long, weary breath. “ _Aww_ , man… Why couldn’t I fight Sakura-chan, instead?” Oh well, it did not really matter. What happened had happened. There was no changing the matchups. Ino yawned again as she walked towards her home. By this time, her mother had already gone off to bed. Expecting a hot meal was out of the question.

Stumbling into her house, Ino realized that she had been right. There was no warm smell coming from the kitchen. She, unfortunately, had to eat Ramen again. Ino would be glad when Chuunin Exam ended. Ramen was not a very good source of nutrients, after all. The blond kunoichi closed the door behind her. She was now in the sanctuary of her room. After putting her bag down—they contained mostly weights, weapons, and scrolls—Ino shed her clothing. “I’ll take a quick shower before fixing something to eat.” The blonde nodded her head, and then walked towards her very own bathroom.

Once done with redressing, Ino patiently waited for the hot water to cook her meal. She then took the cup of noodles to her rooftop. The kunoichi blew on the steaming pork-flavored Ramen as she sat down. She would have to thank Chouji for getting her a year’s worth of Ramen. At the time, she had yelled at him, but now it was becoming an important food source for her. Still… _“Next month, I’m eating nothing but fruits and vegetables!”_ she vowed in thought.

In her younger years, she would eat on top of her house. It was easy to get on the roof from her window. Chakra wasn’t necessary to reach it. Eating up on the roof had been fun back then, but now it was more… relaxing. Ino looked up, still slurping up a noodle. “Come to think of it… There are no stars tonight…” The clouds hid them all. It had been this way for several nights. In a row. It gave Ino a bad feeling. Only the moon had lit up the night. Bright as it was, Ino missed the stars. Shikamaru had been a cloud person, but the Yamanaka liked gazing up at the night sky more. Ino mentally shrugged as she continued eating. Perhaps there would be stars tomorrow night.

“Have you gotten stronger?” The sudden voice startled Ino so much that she choked on a noodle and even dropped her Ramen cup. It rolled off the roof as the blonde grasped her throat, trying to spit out the noodle. Finally, she managed to spit it out. She glared down at the ground below. All the contents of her Ramen cup were now splattered in front of the door. Some of the broth had gotten on her window as well. It was going to be a pain cleaning it off. An angry growl nearly escaped Ino’s throat. Her eyes burned with hostility. She rounded preparing to give—whoever it was that had scared her—a punch to the face. Until she saw the culprit. “Well…?” The person gave Ino an inquisitive look, not the least bit phased by the fierce—almost demonic—look he had gotten.

The blonde kunoichi backed up, only to realize that she could not. She was on the edge of her roof now. She was cornered. Ino gulped nervously. She could feel her heart beating quite rapidly thanks to the uninvited guest. Why was he here in the first place? Oh, _God_ …! Was he _stalking_ her?! _“Calm down…! You’re not scared! You’re not scared!”_ Ino lied to herself. “Wh-What…?” she stammered out. His lips twitched. From that simple action, Ino knew he enjoyed doing this sort of thing with his victims. She could see the amusement in his sea green eyes. The blonde cleared her throat and tried to glare. “What do you want?” There, she sounded a bit more confident. Hostility flashed in his eyes in response. Ino gulped again.

“I asked a question. I won’t repeat myself,” he stated. Despite being frightened, Ino’s eye twitched. This spoiled little brat, she thought. “Answer me.”

“I could as-ask the same question,” Ino replied. “ _Gaara_ …” The Sand shinobi narrowed his eyes. She had the nerve to say his name—and with such _defiance_ in her blue eyes, too. She lifted a brow. “Have _you_ gotten stronger?”

“I have no need to get stronger. I am already strong. You, and everyone else, on the other hand, are weak.” Ino almost snorted. Just who did this guy think he was? Sure, she had heard rumors that him and his siblings—really, they looked nothing alike and Gaara had threatened them as if they were random strangers—were the children of the Kazekage, but that didn’t give him the right to be so arrogant. She came from a noble ninja family, too, after all. “I don’t like the way you’re looking at me, girl.” Sand slowly eased out of his gourd. Ino’s eyes grew as it loomed closer to her.

“What are you doing?!” she asked, frantically. “I haven’t gotten a chance to use your weakness against you yet!” The sand dropped to the roof. Gaara looked unconvinced, and yet he made no other movement. Ino silently breathed a sigh of relief. _“I think my life has been shortened…”_

“I have no weakness.” The Sand shinobi turned his back on the Leaf kunoichi. “You’re either lying, or you’re just a fool. My perception of your skills is that you, quite frankly, suck.” Ino blinked. Did he just…? _No_ …! It couldn’t be! Not this guy. Although he was quite scary, he was also polite… when not out to kill. That talent is most likely from being the son of the Kazekage. He could have used slang just now, right?

“Come again…?” she asked, just to make sure.

“I said your skills are awful… stupid girl.”

Ino bristled. She was never the one to back down from a challenge, and this guy was definitely challenging her. Her fear shifted to irritation. She felt inclined to deal with Gaara for his audacity. “At least I’m not the _slowest ninja_ on the face of the planet!” The redheaded Sand ninja blinked twice before his expression hardened into a glare. Ino glared right back, though she felt she had made a mistake. “You no longer know what I am capable of, _Gaara_. So, your evaluation is inaccurate.”

“I’m going to kill you slowly and painfully,” he replied.

“I did not realize I would be fighting a one-track record,” Ino snapped back. “Must it always be death and pain with you? Get a _life_!”

“… I am going to enjoy watching you beg,” Gaara told her.

“Yamanaka Ino _does not_ beg!” she hissed.

Seemingly ignoring her, Gaara shut his eyes for a moment. Then his sand swirled around him. “You will,” he said before completely disappearing from her sight. Ino clenched her teeth. The glare remained on her face even when her insides trembled in a combination of terror, relief, and anticipation. The blonde kunoichi swallowed apprehensively. An uneasy chuckle slipped from her mouth as a trembling hand rose to touch her chest. Beneath her ribcage, her heart raced wildly.

“Y-You’ll be the one who begs,” she muttered. “Count on it.”

0-0

Mitarashi Anko grinned as she watched her student collapse from exhaustion. She walked over to the fallen kunoichi. The girl did not match the grin at all. Realizing, Anko frowned lightly. “It’s four days from now,” she spoke. “You think you’re ready?” For a moment, only heavy breathing came as a response. Then, gradually, the panting ceased. Slowly, but surely, the young kunoichi pushed herself off the ground. Green eyes turned to the older kunoichi. “Well…? You got what it takes?”

“Yes, sensei,” Mayu replied. “Uchiha Sasuke… will know the might of Ishikari.” Anko snorted lightly before shifting her gaze to their surroundings. Mayu did the same. “ _Everyone_ will finally realize the might of Ishikari. My name will not be a secret anymore.” Anko watched her student, eyes narrowed in troubled contemplation. The girl, however, ignored it. She dispassionately examined the training field.

The entire clearing had been destroyed.

\--

Jiraiya watched his student sleep. It was only natural that he had been sleeping this entire time. Riding on Gamabunta with all his might took a lot out of him. Despite the brat’s disrespectful behavior towards him—calling him Pervy Sage and whatnot—the toad Sanin was proud of his new pupil. Not many people could stay on top of Gamabunta’s head for long. Really, only _one_ other person managed to do it. “The finals start in four days, Naruto.” Jiraiya turned away from the sleeping shinobi with a smirk on his face. “Show these foolish villagers what you’re really made of.” The toad sage exited by means of the hospital window.

Naruto continued snoring, obliviously to his guest.

\--

Hatake Kakashi smiled under his mask. His student’s skills had rapidly increased since the preliminaries ended. As an individual, there was not much that needed to be taught—fighting-wise, anyway. The copy ninja made his way over the boy, who currently had his back against a large rock. He drank water from a canteen. “For the next four days—up until the finals—you will work on the jutsu I showed you.” Sasuke nodded his head. “But don’t use it in the finals unless you have to, alright? Don’t forget—she’s still your teammate.” The Uchiha looked up at his sensei. Kakashi looked mildly surprised.

“If I don’t use it, I’m sure she will make me regret it,” he said. “Sorry to disappoint, sensei, but our fight has been a long time coming. I won’t hold back.”

Sasuke grinned, clearly excited.

0-0

Sarutobi Hiruzen massaged his temples. He had just finished listening to some of the hospital staff complain about the giant footprint found near Uzumaki Naruto’s body. They complained because of the nature of the location. Right in front of the hospital. The Hokage frowned deeply, wondering if the complaints had been because of Naruto’s involvement rather than the indention of the ground. It could have been only an excuse to blame the boy for something. The footprint seemed to have belonged to an amphibian of some sort. This observation led Sarutobi to believe that Jiraiya, his former student, had something to do with it.

Speaking of his former student… Sarutobi shifted his eyes upward. Jiraiya hung from the ceiling, arms crossed. He smirked down at his former mentor. “What is with younger generations and using doors…?” Sarutobi questioned. “Jiraiya, it’s been a while. To what do I own the pleasure?”

“Just hanging…” The toad sage grinned. The Hokage almost rolled his eyes. Jiraiya pushing himself from the ceiling and his feet lightly touched the floor. “Naruto’s training is complete for now.” Sarutobi nodded. “He reminds me of _him_.”

“Yes. I suppose he would.”

“But just on looks…! That kid’s attitude is on the borderline of _unbearable_!”

“That certainly sounds like Naruto,” Sarutobi chuckled out. “Will you continue to-”

“Of course. I owe it to him. I should have…” Jiraiya trailed off, gaze lowering to the floor.

“That-” A sudden knock interrupted the Hokage’s sentence. Former sensei and student looked towards the door. The knock came again. “Come in.” The door hesitantly squeaked open, reminding Sarutobi that he had to get someone to fix that soon. A jounin stepped into the room. “What can I do for you?”

“Forgive me for interrupting, Hokage-sama-” She looked towards the toad sage. “-Jiraiya-sama…” Her eyes shifted back to the Third. “This is an important matter!”

“Yes, go on.” Sarutobi leaned in, waiting.

The woman cleared her throat and tried to ignore the fact that the toad sage was undressing her with his eyes. “There’s a girl here!” she began. “She says she has information concerning the invasion!” The perverted look immediately disappeared from Jiraiya’s face. “I couldn’t believe it when she told me… I didn’t want to believe it, actually.” She frowned. “But whether it is serious or not, I thought you should know.” Immediately tense at the revelation, Sarutobi stiffly nodded his head, wanting further explanation. “This girl—she says that the Sound is planning to destroy the Leaf during the exam! She mentioned Orochimaru, but refuses to say anything else without talking directly to you!”

Just outside the door, Tsuchi Kin leaned against the wall, hands behind her back.

A smirk touched her face when an old voice beckoned her inside.

0-0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot of Team 7 in this chapter. If you've read my other works, you already know how much I like to take a (or several) minor character and give them a bigger role. I just can't help myself. I don't know where I got this from, but it's a persisting element in anything I write. So, this will not be the last time I will shift gears and elevate a canon minor character.


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